Secrets I Dare Not Tell
by Stay Country
Summary: A twenty year-old Ponyboy Curtis has gone missing. They've tried phone calls. They've tried searching. There are no leads. There are no trails. When old friends and family start to uncover a disturbing secret about their missing member, they'll go to great lengths to find him. The only problem is, he may not want to be found.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey lovelies! So, I've decided to add another story! Um, this is a short chapter, but I'm pretty sure these chapters won't be too long anyways. SLTW has chapters ranging 3000-4000 words typically. This one will most likely be between 1000-2000 words. It's alright, though, because it most likely means much faster updates than SLTW! Yay!**

**Alright, anyways…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**The Outsiders.**_

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It was dark. That was the only thing Ponyboy could think about at the moment. It was dark. That was good. Dark was good. It provided a sense of security. It made hiding easier.

The street lamps were dim and there weren't many people out. He was sure that this was about the time that people were retiring to their homes, tucking in their children and sitting on the couch with their spouses. He wished for a moment that he was doing something like that. He was wishing for the impossible, though.

The bar he was headed to was only a ways up the street. Randy's was the name of it, although, Ponyboy couldn't remember ever meeting a Randy in the place. Of course, he'd never searched very hard for one either. He needed to get there and he needed to get out because, after tonight, he was gone.

He stuffed his hands deep into the pockets of his jacket. It was a chilly night for April and he was thankful he had thought to wear something over his thin t-shirt.

He did not know how long he would be without a place to stay. He didn't really know anything at the moment.

As he reached the steps of the establishment he took a deep breath. Anyone could be there. Anyone who was out to get him could be sitting right inside. For some reason, he was willing to take the chance anyways. Knowing what he was doing seemed to put his mind at peace. To him, he had to do this. He couldn't leave without finishing one last thing.

He grabbed onto the courage he had and made his way up the steps. When he reached the door he pushed it open and made a beeline for the bar.

He didn't make eye contact with anyone. He allowed his peripheral vision to give him a slight clue as to who was there. From what he could make out, it seemed only a few people had found a spot in the room so far. That was good for him.

Ponyboy reached the bar and sat at one of the stools. He wondered if the person he needed was ever going to come. What if he changed shifts? What if he left early? What if he called in sick?

Ponyboy knew that considering all the "what if's" was a bad idea on his part. He had been known to do it constantly and he was slowly trying to rid himself of the habit. Old habits didn't just go away with a snap of the fingers, though.

"Michael."

He immediately snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of the name he'd come to known in the town he had been in. It had not been his first choice, although, it would have made sense if it had been, considering that it happened to be his middle name. When he'd left for college he wanted to rid himself of the name Ponyboy.

For so long, the name had felt like a chain around his neck, pulling him down and not allowing him to let go of his past. When he'd moved on to the University he had simply gone by the name Michael and no one was the wiser.

Ponyboy didn't exist- at least the name didn't. The past seemed to slowly dissolve after that and Ponyboy was able to forget.

His last fight with Darry, Soda going off to 'Nam, Johnny dying, Dally dying, his parents' death and every other issue seemed to slowly fade, just like his name. The memories still hurt and every now and again he would find himself sitting alone in a room, remembering. Tears would come to his eyes as if the incident had only happened the day before. Just as quickly as the thoughts came, though, he would make sure they left. He didn't need those kinds of things bearing down on him. He pushed them as far back as he could.

Ponyboy looked up and nodded. "Roy, how've ya' been?"

Roy seemed to get a little anxious as he glanced around the bar. "No offense, buddy, but you need to get the hell out of here. I can't have you here right now."

Ponyboy nodded, understanding. "I know. I'm leaving tonight. I just…I just needed a favor from you."

Roy seemed to look around again, before pulling out his rag and wiping the bar down slowly. "What is it exactly that you need?"

"It's nothing big, Roy. I promise. It's just that…I need to do this and I'm not gonna get a chance… It's just a small favor, Roy."

Roy stood up a little. "Michael, this better be quick, kid. You're in enough shit right now and I ain't achin' to be dragged down with you."

Ponyboy held up his hands. "I already told you. I'm leaving _tonight. _It's one last favor. One last thing before I'm gone for good." He started to pull something out of his jacket pocket. "So…?"

Roy sighed and nodded. "You know I'll do it. Hell, you probably deserve a little favor after the shit you've been through."

Ponyboy sighed in relief and slowly pulled a few envelopes out. He sat them on the bar and stared at them carefully. "They're letters. I just need you to mail 'um. Don't put my name on 'um or anything 'cuz you know it'll just be another way to find me."

Roy stared at the envelopes quizzically for a moment. He looked back to Ponyboy. "Who are they for?"

Ponyboy stared at them sadly for a moment. He sighed. "Nobody. Just some people who deserve to know the truth, I guess." He shifted slightly in his seat before looking back up at Roy. "I just need to make sure it gets to them. I'm not coming back. I need to know. You'll get them there, won't you?"

Roy nodded. "You have my word, Michael. Now, get out of here before somebody comes in here after you. You need to get the hell outta dodge, kid."

Ponyboy nodded, even as he cringed slightly at the word "kid". Back home he'd been known as "kid" all his life. Moving away, he figure the nickname would go away. Of course, that was before he met Roy.

Slowly, he stood, giving Roy one last nod. "Thanks for everything."

Roy just waved Ponyboy off. "Don't worry about it." Before Roy turned he put his hand on Ponyboy's shoulder. "You keep yourself safe, kid."

Roy moved away and Ponyboy sighed. He knew he had to leave soon. He couldn't stick around much longer without being found or spotted. He was risking himself and others by not leaving. He realized this as he started to move towards the exit of the building.

He had to get away. He needed to hide. He knew that. After tonight, he was gone for good. After tonight, he would never see anyone he knew again. After tonight, he wouldn't have to worry.

Ponyboy gave one last look around the bar before lifting his hood to cover his head, praying that no one would recognize him with the small disguise of a jacket.

After tonight, it was over.

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**What do you think?! Review and let me know! I wonder why Ponyboy is leaving? Hmmm…Leave a review and tell me what you think! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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_Ring…Ring…Ring…Ring…Click._

No answer. Again. He had probably tried ten times already, but still he got no answer. That was unusual, extremely unusual. It made him a bit nervous. It caused him to feel slightly scared, but he shot the feelings down.

He was probably overreacting anyways. He was known to before.

The phone suddenly rang and his hand shot towards it, answering it with unimaginable quickness.

"Ponyboy?" he asked into the phone.

The voice on the other line cleared their throat. "No, sorry, Sodapop. It's Darry. You expectin' a call?"

Soda shook his head, although he knew his brother couldn't see him. "Uh, naw. It's just- uh. Pony ain't been answerin' all day. He didn't pick up the phone yesterday either. I thought maybe he was returnin' my call or somethin'."

He could hear Darry talking to someone on the other side and he figured it was one of Darry's work buddies or his new girlfriend, Jessica. After both of the younger brothers had moved out, Darry had found time for himself. Sodapop knew he enjoyed every second of it, too.

"Don't you both usually talk on the weekends?" Darry's voice came back on the line.

Soda nodded. "Yeah, but he ain't answered today- didn't answer last weekend either."

"Huh," Darry said slowly, as if he were trying to figure something out. "Well, he may just be out havin' fun or he could be too far into a book to realize the phone's even been ringin'."

Soda smiled at Darry's attempt at humor, though it was weak.

"Yeah, I know. I'm just worryin' myself is all."

"Well, stop," Darry laughed suddenly, "We established years ago that was my job and my job only."

Soda rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I hear ya', Dar."

The conversation got quiet for a moment before Darry cleared his throat. "Actually, the reason I was callin' ya' is that I was thinkin' about givin' Pone a surprise visit. I wanted to know if you wanted to tag along."

Soda's eyebrows rose as he heard the door to the apartment open. He watched Steve walk in.

"You serious?"

"Yeah, I mean, it ain't too long of a drive. And we ain't seen him in a while. I think it'd be nice to talk to him face to face again."

Soda felt himself smile. "Hell yeah, I'll tag along! Jesus, Dar. I ain't seen the kid since God knows when. You coulda shown up at my door right now and said pack your bags and I would've gone right to it."

Soda saw Steve give him a funny look and mouth something along the lines of _who is it. _Soda waved him off and listened for Darry's reply. He could hear his older brother laugh.

"Alright then. I was thinking Monday, maybe? I got the day off work."

Soda smiled wide at the thought of seeing his baby brother. "Sounds great. I'll ask my boss about it tomorrow."

"Talk to you later, Sodapop."

"Bye."

Soda hung up the phone and grinned widely at Steve's confused face. "We're goin' to Texas!"

* * *

The cold air had seemed to dampen as the night went on. It was an unsettling feeling.

Pony wasn't sure about exactly where he was going. He didn't have much knowledge of the area, even though he had been living there for already three years- almost four.

He had been walking the whole time and he sort of wished he would have taken a bus. Except, he had been worried that someone would find him easily like that. If he got on a bus a few towns over, ending up in a bad situation would be less likely.

He dug his hands into his jacket pocket and sighed. He fucking hated college. It ruined his goddamned life. He couldn't think about that at the moment, though, because it wouldn't get him anywhere.

He stayed within the shadows, away from the streetlights. He wasn't sure about the time, but he knew that he had to find somewhere to rest. He was tired and it would not be good for him to be tired the next day, when he would be hiding in the daylight.

He hid his face as he slowly passed a woman on the street. She smiled at him, though.

"Hi, Sugar," she said slowly as she moved over to block his path. "You lookin' for a good time?"

Her voice was raspy and it slurred slightly as she spoke. From what Pony could make out in the dark her hair was blonde, but not at all neat. Her top was too small for her and she looked too skinny. Her skirt was short and he wondered how she could stand the cold.

He directed his attention away from her features, trying to remember what he was attempting to accomplish in the first place.

He shook his head to her question. "You know any motels around here?"

"Sweetheart, I know lots of motels, but I know a lot of other places we could go for free."

"No," Pony shook his head, "Not for that. Do you just-uh- I just need to find a place to stay."

She leaned closer. "C'mon, baby," she said slowly. "Stay with me."

"Please, I need a place. I'm in a hurry. I don't have time for this. Really, please?"

She giggled a little. "You're funny. Just c'mon. I promise you'll like it. They always like it."

Pony pushed her to the side. "Never mind."

He started to walk away, but her voice stopped him. "Hold up!"

He turned and stared at her. She looked annoyed and tired.

"Go a little ways down the street and turn a left on Cleveland Road." He could barely see her as she slowly lit a cigarette and placed it in between her lips. "But let me tell you, sugar. If you're tryin' to hide from someone you better beat it. They got ways of findin' people around these parts."

Ponyboy chose that moment to quickly turn and head the way she had told him. He knew he needed to get out and away, but he didn't have much of a choice when it came to what was necessary.

_They got ways of findin' people around these parts. _Pony gulped, because he already knew that.

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**A/N: Alright lovelies, there you go! I hope you enjoyed. REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW. Thanks for the reviews last chapter by the way. They were appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi! It's been a while, I'm **_**sorry. **_**I got a bit stuck with SLTW so it's going on hiatus (After only four chapters? Yeah, I know I suck), but I'm STILL UPDATING THIS. It's just that my ideas are flowing with this one and **_**not **_**with that one. So, yeah. Anyways, I'm sorry. Updates are going to start being weekly for this I think because basketballs over and I have no life and blah, blah, blah. **

**Anyways, yeah.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned it everyone would probably die in the end. I'm just saying…**

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Pony walked.

_Cleveland Road, _he thought to himself, _Jesus Christ, I could use a map._

His arm shifted left, allowing his bag to slip higher onto his shoulder. He felt himself shake as he did this. He was nervous, more nervous than he had ever been in his entire life. He just wanted to hide. He needed some kind of security- something to assure him that he would be alright, even if only for a little while.

Ponyboy knew that those following him could not be far behind. They knew so much. How did they know so much?

They knew his every step, his every movement, and every _thought. _They knew exactly what he was planning to do before he ever did it.

And he was going fucking mad.

He wanted to run. Oh God, how he wanted to sprint, but he knew not to. That would only draw suspicion and suspicion was bad.

Yes, suspicion was _very _bad.

Suddenly, Pony heard something. It was quiet, so _faint, _but he could make it out. They were footsteps. He had no doubt.

Quickly, he spun around and looked. He could spot nothing under the dim streetlights and the sound of steps had ceased.

Someone was there, though. He had heard it.

Swiftly, he turned back and quickened his pace.

_Cleveland Road. Cleveland Road. Gotta find Cleveland Road. Fuck, footsteps. Go faster. Cleveland Road._

A loud noise caused him to jump out of his skin and turn around. He stared and watched as a small dog, barking like a mad man, came running up to him. Once realization hit him, he felt stupid. His nerves were so high that a _dog _had freaked him out.

He shook his head, letting out a breath as his shoulders shakily became less tense.

Crouching down, Pony patted the dog on the head and laughed quietly. For the first time in a while, the small chuckle was not forced.

"Hey there, Buddy," he muttered to the brown ball of fur, "You got a family lookin' for ya' somewhere around here?"

The dog barked happily and leaned into Pony's hand. "I betcha' do. You're a pretty dog."

He looked at the collar and saw that the dog had no tag. He sighed. He really had no time to help a dog find its owner. Maybe if he were a few states over it would be a different story.

He was still in Texas, though, and that was not good.

Pony stood back up, staring down at the dog.

Reaching his full height, Pony started to turn when a strong hand landed on his shoulder. Pony tensed back up. His heart rate increased and he started to feel a tremor go through his body. He tried to turn, but the fear that rushed through his veins stopped him from doing so.

"Michael," an icy voice said, "It's good to see you."

* * *

"Darry, you got everything?"

"Yeah, Soda, for the one thousandth time, I've got everything," Darry grumbled, running hands through his messy hair.

Soda gave him a look of stupidity. "Then, why the hell are we not on the road yet?"

Steve walked up, carrying a small bag. "Jesus Christ, buddy. Pony'll still be there. So long as we don't take a whole year to get our shit together."

Soda rolled his eyes. "Knowin' Darry it may be a year before we get started."

Darry glared at his younger brother and pointed towards his truck. "Get in the car, Soda."

Soda mumbled something grumpily, but complied. Steve laughed. Soda had been more than excited to see his younger brother. It was all he had talked about for the past few days and Steve was damn glad that they were finally going. He was getting about damn tired of Soda always talking about Pony.

He knew the Curtis brothers were close- That was damn obvious- but he was Soda's best friend and one of the few people who had ever had to deal with an obsessive, crazy Soda for more than a few days at a time.

And he would tell you in a split second that it was horrible.

Darry stared at something for a moment before clapping his hands together. "Alright, we better get movin' before hot-shot in there decides to have a heart attack on us."

Steve rolled his eyes. "We better get there soon, Darry, or I swear to God I'm gonna kill that brother of yours."

Darry laughed. "You and me both."

They both got into the car and Darry started the engine.

"It's a shame Two-Bit ain't comin'. I think he really wanted to," Darry muttered as he shifted the gear.

Soda nodded. "Yeah, but he's got a girl. And with a bun in the oven that's ready to come out any minute he ain't gonna just leave her."

"Yeah, ain't that weird?" Steve said, "Two-Bit's gonna have a kid. Hell, I thought Pony'd end up havin' a kid before he does."

"Naw, Two-Bit's great with kids. You remember when his little cousin came to town? Jack or Jake or somethin'. That kid loved Two-Bit more than his own mother."

"Yeah, well, that don't mean he's gonna be any good raisin' a kid," Darry piped in as they pulled out of the drive.

"I think he'll be good," Soda said quietly. "Two-Bit's a good guy. I do think he'd rather be with us right now instead of cranky Irene."

Steve laughed. "He'd rather be anywhere than with cranky Irene."

All of them laughed together, a feeling of mutual happiness being shared amongst the young men. It quieted down, but all of them kept small smiles on their faces.

Soda let out a sigh. "I just really can't wait to see, Pony."

Steve groaned. "Soda, we _know."_

"I'm just worried about him is all. He ain't answered the phone and he always answers it."

"Soda he's busy-"

"I _know! _I'm just sayin'…"

Darry looked at Soda. "Little Buddy, you worry too much. I'm tellin' you he's been out with a girl, or friends, or he's studyin'. He's just doin' somethin' and he's _fine. _They would have called us if he wasn't. They have our number."

Soda didn't say anything so Steve patted him on the shoulder. "Man, you're just nervous to see him. You went off to 'Nam before he left and the only communication you've had is through the phone. It's been a long time since you've seen the kid." Soda nodded slowly. "He's alright, Soda. I promise."

Soda nodded again. "Alright," he mumbled.

He knew he was just worrying himself nuts, but he couldn't help it. He just had one of those feelings. He kept pushing it away, but it just kept coming back.

Soda leaned his head back and sighed.

"Get some sleep, Soda. We'll be there before you know it."

The feeling of fear and worry never left Soda's stomach, but he closed his eyes and drifted off anyways.

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**What do you think of this chapter? It's a bit of a cliff hanger… Review por favor? It's appreciated! I'll update quicker next time. Maybe even tomorrow if I feel up to it!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Alright, this chapter may get a little bit confusing, but it will all be explained later…So, yeah.**

**Disclaimer: I wish.**

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A hand was on his shoulder- a hand belonging to a person who_ knew_ him; and not just him, but the college version of him. If it had been anyone otherwise they would have said Ponyboy. This stranger had clearly said _Michael _and that could almost mean no good.

A shot of adrenaline rushed through Pony and, although he knew fighting someone off would probably do no good considering there were surely others ready to find him if he ran again, he swung his arm back hard, making contact with whomever had decided touching him was a good idea.

Pony spun and saw a dark figure bend down from the contact. The figure wiped at his lip. "Fuck," he muttered, "What are you tryin' to pull, asshole?"

Pony's eyes widened. He knew the voice. He recognized the voice. Relief rushed over him when reality hit him that this was _not _a voice to be scared of.

"Frank? Is that you?" Pony bent down near him. If it was not Frank, then he was a total idiot, but he was almost one hundred percent positive that it _was _Frank.

"Yes, it's me! Jesus Christ..." Holding a hand to his upper lip, Frank stood up. "Who the hell did you think it was?"

Pony looked almost in shock. "Well, I didn't think it was _you."_

Frank rolled his eyes. "Obviously…" he trailed off, adding some curse words towards the end. He sighed and smeared blood across his face as he tried to wipe it off. "What are you doing here?"

Ponyboy had no clue what to say. Frank and Pony had met two years prior in one of their classes. They had turned into pretty close friends and had become almost inseparable.

Frank was not supposed to be there, though. Frank was supposed to be at college. So, how the hell did he end up right next to Ponyboy?

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Pony questioned, cocking an eyebrow.

It was only ironic that the two had ended up in the same situation- with death running on their tail. Pony had left Frank a note- He told him to stay and not to follow.

Frank had never been that great at following rules.

"Fuck no. I'm the one who just got hit, remember? If anyone gets to start askin' questions it would be me."

Frank was older than Pony, but only by a year. His complexion was darker than Pony's, but he only got really tan during the summer. He had an auburn-like color to his hair, which he kept short. He had always told Pony about how his dad had been in the military and they had been raised with every little rule and regulation possible.

Frank claimed that was why he was so good at breaking them.

"You can't be here," Pony muttered, rubbing a hand over his tired face. "I'm sorry, but I gotta figure out what's goin' on."

Frank laughed. "Yeah, and get your ass killed while you're at it? I don't think so…"

Pony sighed. "Frank…"

"Don't talk to me like you're my mother," Frank commanded, putting a hand up. "You don't think I saw the shit goin' on back at the school? I ain't stupid."

Pony had not wanted Frank to know about the secrets. He just refused to put his friend in harm's way like that. He figured that not telling Frank would buy him more time rather than telling him.

"How do you know?" Pony mumbled the question.

Frank shook his head and reached into his jacket. "You left these," he explained, holding up files. "You had a bunch of notes and shit. I mean, it didn't take long to figure out what you were getting at."

Pony stared at the object in his friend's hand. Boy, did he feel dumb. Slowly, he reached his hand out and grabbed the files. He held them tightly, as if never wanting to let them out of his sight again.

It took him a moment, but he finally looked back up at Frank. "Do you believe it?" he muttered quietly. "Or do you think I'm just crazy?"

Frank slowly shook his head before cracking smile. "Well, I know you're crazy." The smile faded slightly. "But you ain't dumb. And after looking through that," he motioned towards the papers while taking a deep breath, "I don't think it's doubtable."

Pony's head bobbed once before looking down the street. "Alright, come with me."

* * *

"So, how'd you find me?"

The small diner was so quiet. Of course it was. It just happened to be four-thirty in the morning. Who in their right mind would be up just to get a cup of coffee? Pony sure wished he was lying down in a bed somewhere with a warm comforter and a small radio playing music softly. He was just worried and he knew it showed. The way he continuously twiddled his thumbs and bit his lip made it obvious. Frank said nothing, though, because he was a good friend.

"I followed you." Frank shrugged. "I got the note you left before you got far, but hey, I'm glad you weren't a total jerk and at least left something for me to go by."

Pony rolled his eyes and nodded. "Yeah, well I didn't mean to leave you the folders."

"But you did," Frank smirked. A waitress brought some coffee over to them before smiling and turning away. Frank stared at her back side as she walked, waggling his eyebrows at Pony. "Damn," he muttered.

Pony shook his head. "That doesn't mean that it wasn't an accident."

Frank was not quite sure what to say so he quickly dove into interrogating his friend. "Alright, I get that this stuff was meant for your eyes only, but I'm a bit confused. Can you just explain it? I mean, at least so I somewhat understand?"

"I thought you said that you got the idea when you already snooped through it?" Pony narrowed his eyes.

Frank held his hands up in defense. "Hey, that's right. I got the _idea._" He put his hands down. "And I was not _snooping. _I told you, man, you were gone and I wanted to know why."

Pony let out an annoyed breath but pulled the files out and set them on the table. He looked around quickly. No one was watching.

He glanced at Frank. "What do you want to know?"

Frank smiled and reached for the manila envelopes. He grabbed one and slowly slid some papers out of it. Each one had a different person on it.

A different name, a different story and a different death.

He placed one of the papers on top and pointed to the picture. In it was a long, curly haired girl with bright eyes and a big smile. She looked too happy to be dead. She should have been alive, but she was not. Frank scanned the paper for a few moments before giving Pony a glance.

"Amelia Sanchez," he mumbled as he looked at his friend. Pony's nod is what encouraged him to continue. He rubbed his jawline. "Michael, she was in our group, right?"

Pony nodded. His mouth was starting to feel dry and bile rose in his throat. He wanted to turn away from the picture of Amelia. He had talked to her a few times before they found her body outside on the ground. They claimed she had leaped from her window.

Frank grimaced. "Jesus, these were all in our group."

Pony's head bobbed. "And they're all dead."

"Fuck, there's like six of them. That's a lot from one group. How did I not see this?"

"You're not the only one," Pony said, gripping his coffee handle tightly. He did not want to talk about all of them. Frank would want to know, though, so he kept as straight of a face as he could.

"So, you don't think she jumped?"

The question had caught Pony off guard. He felt his palms start to sweat. "No, she didn't. I _know _she wouldn't have."

Frank scratched his head with a confused expression. "How?"

A small bit of anger rose inside of Pony. "I just do, Frank. I mean, c'mon. _Six _people died, man. _Six. _That's six too many. And, all within a matter of months? I mean, that's not logical. Six people don't just kill themselves all in a row, even if they have suicidal problems…" he trailed off when he saw the bewildered look on Franks face. Placing his forehead in his hands, Pony took a deep breath and looked back up. "Frank, you and I were in the same mess they were, and we ain't shoving guns at our temples, right?"

Slowly, Frank nodded. Pony continued.

"Then, that's what I'm sayin'! You gotta think about it. Sure, we all get sad, but not enough that six people off themselves like that."

Frank seemed to be taking in the information. He tapped his fingers along the table and rubbed away some tension in his temples.

"So, someone did this to them?" Frank asked.

Pony simply nodded.

"But who?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I tried to find people holding grudges or just plain ol' angry people, but I had no luck." Pony shrugged. "It got too dangerous. I had to run."

Frank stared at Pony. "Dangerous…How?"

Shaking his head, Pony leaned over the table slightly. "Someone was watching me. At least, I think they were."

"And why do you think that?"

All was quiet for a long moment. Pony fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper. With a shaky breath he handed it to Frank, who took a moment but finally unfolded the item. He stared at it, his eyes widening.

Not pulling his eyes away, Frank slowly read the words on the paper. "You're next."

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**Alright, so, Pony's safe…for now. Haha. There was no Soda, Darry or Steve in this chapter. I really didn't think it would fit. Plus, they'll have a bigger part in one of the next two chapters! Um, you'll learn more about Frank and what 'group' he and Pony were a part of. Ya' know…the group where six people have died? Yeah, that group.**

**Thanks for reading! Review my lovelies!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: They ain't mine.**

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It was six in the morning by the time the young men left the diner. The sun was peering up beyond the road and Pony pulled Frank into a wooded area to help keep them covered. Since he had run into his friend, Pony had never gotten the chance to find a motel. He was tired, but he knew stopping was no longer an option. He had to catch up for lost time.

Frank kept eerily quiet after reading the note and Pony didn't doubt that it had spooked him a good bit. Hell, Pony had been scared out of his wits when he had received it.

This was why he needed to run, though. He had too. He also needed to solve this mystery. Lives were at stake. His and Frank's life was at stake. He was the only one who could solve the mystery and he knew it.

"Michael," Frank spoke up as he dodged a tree branch. "What are we gonna do? I mean, we ain't safe no matter where we go."

Pony nodded. "I know. That's why we gotta keep goin'."

Frank looked at his friend. "We ain't gonna be able to run forever, ya' know? At some point somebody is gonna catch us."

"Don't talk like that." Pony's face became stone cold. He pushed ahead so he was farther up than Frank.

Frank sighed. "I'm just sayin'…"

"Well, don't," Pony snapped. He stopped and spun to face his friend as he said the words. Immediately he felt bad and ran a tired hand over his face. "Sorry, look. We're in deep shit right now. I get that, but I can't be thinkin' like I'm gonna get caught. I gotta figure this out. And if I think like I don't gotta chance then I might as well just give up right now."

Frank stared at Pony for a moment before nodding slowly. "It's cool, man. I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have gone there."

Pony couldn't say anything out of the fear that he would snap again. He continued to move.

"So, do you have any theories?"

Pony could have decked Frank right then. Why would he not just shut up? It was gonna be a long day if this was how it was going to be. Pony pushed away his annoyance and kept his head forward, making sure Frank didn't see the scowl that had come across it.

"Like I said before, I honestly don't know." He stepped over a log. "My guess is as good as yours."

They continued to walk. Pony still felt bad for snapping earlier. He was just so damn tired and his nerves were on high. He had never been such a nervous wreck before. Not even when Johnny had killed a soc had he felt so anxious. He was terrified for his life and now on top of all this he was also worried about his friend's.

Slowing down, he allowed himself to fall in place next to Frank.

"I think it was a teacher," he said quietly. Frank perked up at the sudden words and watched Pony.

"Why do you think that?"

Pony shook his head. "I don't know. I just…Well, I feel like that maybe someone is lookin' for revenge. It's a wild guess, though, Frank. I really haven't gotten too far with this yet."

Slowly, Frank nodded. "Yeah, but you've gotten far enough to realize that somethin' _is _happenin'. The rest will come with time, right?"

"Maybe…" Pony kicked at a rock. "I can't just go around pointin' fingers, though. That could ruin everything."

"Right, because if it's the wrong person then that comes back to smack you in the face."

Pony smirked a little as his friend. "Exactly." His smile faded. "I do think it was a teacher, though."

Frank stayed quiet for a minute before smiling. "My bet is on Professor Earhart. That guy was fuckin' crazy when it came to certain tools with cuttin' people up."

Pony laughed. "Shut up, Frank. He's the anatomy professor."

Frank shrugged. "I'm just sayin', Michael. That ain't normal."

Pony realized it felt good to laugh. He may have been extremely terrified of what was going to happen to them, but it felt good to have Frank there with him. At least it would be easier to keep his wits about him while his friend was around.

And that gave him a reason to relax just a little bit and continue to move forward.

* * *

"You're sure this is a good idea?"

"I'm positive."

Ponyboy stared skeptically at Frank as he worked with something inside the car. Ponyboy glanced around. He was already sure someone was going to see them. Someone was going to notice and they would be caught. He clenched his teeth out of habit and crinkled his forehead.

"Someone's gonna see us."

"Jesus, Michael. Ain't you ever hotwired a car before?" Frank questioned. When silence was all that replied, Frank looked out at Pony. "You're kiddin' me! _Never?_"

Ponyboy slowly shook his head as he glanced around nervously once again. He started bouncing his leg.

Frank's eyebrows rose and he shook his head. "Wow." He quickly got back to working on the car. "Somethin' tells me you and I are gonna find out a helluva lot more than we already know about each other."

Pony rolled his eyes. "Will you hurry?"

"You're such a woman, Michael. I swear to God. You gonna make me dinner, too? Iron my clothes?"

"Will you shut up? I'm just nervous." Pony explained, trying his hardest to not yell.

Frank smirked. "Thank God you cleared that up. I was startin' to think somethin' was seriously wrong."

Pony glared before the engine of the vehicle roared to life. His eyes lit up and he jumped in the car. Frank followed immediately.

"See, I told ya' it was a good idea." He smirked in victory as Pony looked out the window.

"We ain't drivin' yet," he muttered.

Frank's head swerved to look at his friend and he gave him a smile. "Let's get this thing rollin'."

He pulled away from the curb, switching gears as he backed up. Pony was less nervous in the car, but he still felt like he was dangling above a thousand knives. For all he knew, the person after him could have a car, too. In fact, they could have been watching them the whole time.

The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. They could have just sat there, _waiting. _Why would they try to approach him then? They were in a town and even though it was a very _small _town, anyone could have walked by and spotted them had they tried anything.

Now that he and Frank were driving, though, they could follow them until they were in a secluded area. The fight would be over then. He and Frank would lose.

He couldn't let something happen. He just couldn't.

He needed to research. He needed to find _something. _Maybe he could call Roy. That would make the most sense. Roy could do some snooping. Roy could help him out. Roy would do it, too.

He could do this. He knew he could. He just had to be careful and aware.

Quickly, he glanced into the side view mirror. No one was behind them. He thanked God.

"So, where are we goin'?" Franked asked as he turned onto another street.

"We just need to get far away. We need to lose anybody who could be on our tail." Pony leaned his head back, closing his eyes tightly. He could feel a headache seeping into his temples and he went to rub it away. "We need to research. We gotta get stuff done."

"We will, we will," Frank assured him as he nodded his head. "We will, Michael."

Pony's face scrunched up slightly as a dull ache surrounded his skull. He sighed.

Frank glanced over, giving him a strange look. "Michael, you don't look so good, man. Why don't you sleep or somethin'? I'll wake ya' before we stop."

And that was all Pony needed before he drifted into a restless slumber.

* * *

**A/N: That was a pitiful chapter:(**** I'm sorry! But, Darry, Soda and Steve are going to make an appearance next chapter! You're also gonna find out some information on the 'group'! Sorry about this chapter, though. I know it wasn't anything spectacular.**

**~Review**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I got nothin'. Sorry ya'll. **

**A/N: Updates are going to be once a week on Fridays. Who's excited? Anyways….**

* * *

Soda felt his eyes wandering endlessly as the three men arrived at the campus just outside of Amarillo- the campus that his younger brother had come to know over the past few years. Pony had told him all about it- the things, the buildings, and not to mention the _girls. _His younger brother had hit the nail on the head with that one. Soda remembered every phone call and every letter. He remembered everything that caused him to miss his baby brother even more over the time he hadn't been able to see him. That was what hurt the most.

It didn't matter anymore, though, because they were there, standing in front of Pony's dorm room, ready to knock and hug the life out of the kid because it had been a damn long time since anyone had been able to do that.

Soda's hands were sweaty. For God's sake, it had been so _long._ He'd been in Vietnam and the time spent there had made him feel as though decades had been ripped away from him and his little brother. He hadn't seen Pony face to face since- well- he could barely remember the last time he got to stare at that kid and tell him how smart he was. It felt like an eternity.

Darry gave him a nervous look. He was trying to interpret him- something Darry had always been pretty bad at. The man had tried for years to figure Ponyboy out and never once had he come out successful. Darry had a horrible time reading people and their feelings- Soda knew that.

"You okay, little buddy?"

Soda nodded before the question was even finished. He wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans and gave Darry a fake smile. It would have been unsuccessful had Darry been better at reading people. Fortunately, he wasn't.

Soda turned to Steve and saw that he had stepped back.

Upon seeing his friend's curious look, Steve held up his hands and shook his head. "Ya'll go ahead. I'll have plenty of time to see the brat."

Soda watched Darry smile at Steve before turning back to him. "You ready?"

Soda gulped and nodded. "Go on. I'm more than ready."

It was such a lie- more than a lie. It was almost like an outright betrayal of his brother's trust. Except, if he didn't say yes now, would he ever?

Darry knocked and nothing happened immediately. There was a silence that settled over the hallway until a sudden noise came from behind the door. Soda raised his eyebrows and glanced back at Steve. Steve shrugged, leaning back against the all with his hands dug deep in his pockets.

It took a moment, but the door finally opened and there stood a guy who was definitely not Ponyboy. The guy had brown hair that jutted out in all places. He had tired eyes and, by what he was wearing, Soda guessed that they had just awoken him from his sleep. The guy rubbed at his eyes and then at his jaw while yawning.

"Can I help you?"

Soda watched him carefully. He had never really considered Ponyboy having a roommate. It was just one of those things that he never thought of.

"Is Ponyboy Curtis here?" Darry asked.

The guy eyed them before shaking his head slowly. "What are you talkin' about?"

"Ponyboy Curtis?" Sodapop stepped in, glancing at Darry wearily. "This is his room."

He gave the three a look as though they were insane. "Are you some of Doug's friends?" He shook his head. "I swear to God, that asshole-"

"Hold on a second," Darry cut in, holding a hand up. "We don't even know a Doug. We're lookin' for our brother- Ponyboy Curtis."

At this point, the guy really started to look annoyed and he rubbed a hand over his face. "Look, the other guy who lives here ain't a horse. Can you all just leave me alone? I'm tryin' to sleep."

He tried to close the door, but Darry stopped him. "Wait, okay." He took a deep breath. "Are you sure? This is the room he told us."

The guy opened the door back up and sighed. "My roommate's name is _Michael- _Michael Curtis."

Soda and Darry slowly turned to face one another, both with raised eyebrows. They shared a look- one of confusion and one of understanding. Ponyboy was going by his middle name. It was weird, but at the same time they both seemed to understand it.

"That's our brother," Soda said slowly, turning back to the guy. "He goes by his middle name now."

The guy snorted. "His real name is _Ponyboy?_"

All three men rolled their eyes. This _was _supposed to be a college student, right? Darry nodded and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, he does. Now, do you happen to know where we can find him?"

The guy gave the men a tired sigh as he came to the realization that he wasn't going to be going right back to sleep. He shook his head. "Nah, Michael ain't around very much anymore."

Darry cocked an eyebrow and Soda gave the guy a funny look. "What do ya' mean?" Darry questioned.

He shrugged. "I dunno. He just ain't around much anymore."

Steve decided to step up and Soda watched his friend. "Okay, and why the hell not?"

Soda grimaced. His friend obviously wasn't in the mood for a friendly first impression. The guy at the door seemed taken aback for a moment until he composed himself.

"Well, I mean, ever since the accident he just doesn't come back that often."

All three of the young men looked at each other at once. Their looks were so different- confusion, worry, shock and so many others at once- they weren't interpretable.

"What accident?" Darry asked and at the same time three heads swiveled to the guy at the door.

He rubbed a hand over his face before motioning the three forward. "You may want to come inside."

* * *

"You know somethin'?" Frank spoke as he lay out on one of the two motel beds. He had his arms tucked behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling, his brown hair sticking out as he laid himself back.

Pony was sitting at a desk on the other side of the room, the eraser side of his pencil being chewed on in his mouth. He stared at some files of other students. Every now and again he would write a note. He thought about those books he used to read- the mystery ones. They always looked for something similar when it came to the victims. Sadly, he only had one and the fact that all the students happened to be in the same group just wasn't that big of a deal.

Pony looked over at Frank from his work. "Yeah?"

"This is kind of cool actually," Frank spoke slowly. He crossed one leg over the other. "This is almost like a movie. We're on the run, ya' know? That's pretty boss."

Pony felt his mouth go dry as he gave Frank a look. "People dyin' ain't cool, Frank."

Frank shook his head. "Nah, man. I don't mean it like that. It's just…" he trailed off. Pony continued giving him a look. This wasn't cool. Cool was the last thing this was. Frank sighed. "Never mind, I was just thinkin' out loud."

Pony felt bad for a moment. He wasn't meaning to be so defensive or rude. He couldn't seem to help it. He rubbed a tired hand over his face. "No, Frank. I'm bein' an ass." He let out a sigh and gave his friend a slight smile. "It is kinda cool. We're like detectives, right?"

Frank propped up, giving Pony a grin. "Exactly."

It got quiet and Pony went back to looking through his papers. He stared at the picture of Amelia Sanchez and a picture of Paul Martin, another guy from their group.

"It's horrible, ya' know?" Pony whispered. Frank looked over at him.

"What is?"

Pony shook his head slowly. "We were in this group for, what, two months?"

Frank tensed slightly. "Yeah, but it was recommended. Plus, people can't just live through what we saw, Michael. We needed the group therapy."

"I know," he conceded. "It's just horrible that six people died because of it." Pony turned around and looked sadly at Frank. "They offed themselves. No notes, no reasons."

"Right," Frank started slowly then continued, "but, you're the one who said that these all weren't suicides. These deaths were murder."

Pony rubbed a frustrated hand down his face. "They were. At least, I think they were. I'm just saying there's no pattern. No one dies the same way. No one has anything in common."

"Well there's gotta be something," Frank spoke up hopefully.

Pony chewed on his finger nails. "Ten kids see something they never should; they go to group therapy, as suggested, and six end up dead. How the hell do six end up dead? We weren't all devastated- more like traumatized." Pony set his pencil down. "Do you off yourself because you're traumatized?"

Frank shrugged. "Honestly? I don't know. It don't seem likely. I never wanted to die."

Pony nodded slowly. He glanced back at the papers and shoved them together. He closed the folder and buried his head in his hands. When he looked back up, Frank was staring at him wearily. He nodded once more.

"Yeah, me neither."

* * *

**What did you think, Lovelies? I like this chapter, to be honest. Of course, it took me three rewrites. Haha, yeah…**

**Anyways, thank you!**

**~Review**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I usually don't update until the evening, but I'm going out tonight like right after school and I may not have time. Also, I'm going to be very busy this week because this is my last week before spring break. The next update may not come for a few weeks. I'm hoping for one before I leave for vacation next Friday, but I'm going to be very busy. So, we'll have to see Lovelies! I'm apologizing in advance, though, in case I don't get it done.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**The Outsiders.**_

* * *

Soda walked into the room. He immediately could tell which side belonged to Pony and which belonged to the other guy. Books were scattered over one side of the room, some half open and bookmarked, while others sat in careful stacks, obviously put in their place for an important reason. The other side contained not as much books as there were magazines- and Soda didn't have too much trouble figuring out what those magazines were.

He stared at Pony's side of the room carefully, examining it with great precision. Pony was never extremely clean, but he had never been real messy. The side of the room that Soda's eyes wandered over cautiously looked as though it had been through a storm. In fact, it looked a lot like how Darry's got when he was real frazzled about something he couldn't control.

Soda took it all in. This was something he would never have- something _Darry _would never have and if he were being completely honest, he was a slight bit jealous about the freedom of it all. Sure, Soda was an adult and could do what he wanted, but Pony had more than he could ever imagine having. Pony got away. Pony found his wings and he soared, right on past the best of them.

Because of this, Soda couldn't help the small bit of jealousy that was peeking out in his thoughts.

His attention fell on the guy- Pony's roommate. He had taken a seat on his bed and gestured towards Pony's.

"You may want to sit down."

All three did without so much as a glance at one another.

"Okay, what happened?" Darry spoke up. The guy turned to the group, but directed his main attention on Darry, seeming to realize that Darry was the oldest- or at least the one leading the pack. He sighed and nodded once.

"I'm surprised your brother didn't say anything to you. It's kind of one of those things that you have to talk about."

"Can you just tell us the story?"

Soda glanced at Darry. It was easy to see that he was on edge, but the fact that an accident had occurred- one that Pony had failed to mention over numerous phone calls- and that said accident was the cause of Pony's misplacement was a lot to take in. The fact that this guy seemed to be beating around the bush didn't help either.

He sighed and nodded. "Alright, so a few months back some girl, Andrea Wilkes, took a swan dive out her window. Now, the girl was pretty fucked up in the first place- had Daddy issues and boyfriend problems. Something was bound to happen to her anyways, ya' know? She just decided to speed up the process."

Darry gave him a long stare before shaking his head slowly. "So, what does that have to do with Ponyboy?"

"Well, a bunch of kids happened to be out in the courtyard when she took the plunge. They heard her scream and then saw her hit the ground." He bent forward. "It was kind of a recommendation for them to see somebody. It ain't easy getting' over something like that."

Darry nodded in agreement. "And Ponyboy was one of these kids?"

"Yep. They started a whole group therapy thing and the witnesses have been going for the past few months. It really fucked some of the people up. I don't think Ponyboy was as bad as some of them, but he never missed a meeting with them."

Soda shook his head slowly and stared at Darry wide-eyed. "Why wouldn't he have told us?"

"I don't know. Did he have a reason not to?"

The roommate looked at them. "Listen, guys, I wouldn't take it too personally. It isn't something that's real easy to talk about. Maybe your brother was just havin' a hard time getting' it out there."

Soda didn't believe him and by the look on Darry's face he assumed that he wasn't buying into either. At this point, Steve leaned forward and rubbed at his jaw. He looked to be thinking harder than normal.

"So then, where is Pony now?"

The dorm mate shrugged. "Like I said, I really don't know. It's hard to tell."

Soda hung his head and felt a wave of worry spark through him. How did they not know where Ponyboy was? He looked back up and watched Ponyboy's roommate stand up. The guy looked around before grabbing a pen and paper, writing something down.

"Wait a second," he said. "Here's where Doctor Milligan should be." He looked up and handed the paper over to Darry. "He was the group leader of Ponyboy's therapy thing. If you wanna figure out more, I would go to him. Plus, you may spot your brother."

Darry took the paper and nodded. "Thank you. You've been helpful."

The guy waved Darry off. "Hey, it's no problem.

And in search of Doctor Milligan they went.

* * *

Frank's head bobbed up and down as the two young men made their way down the road in their stolen car. Pony watched him carefully, sure that he was ready to knock out at any moment. Neither one of them had gotten much sleep the night before due to Pony's incessant researching. Frank had helped him out, too. Now, they both sported bags under their eyes and tired faces.

"You want me to take over?"

"No, man, I got it."

Pony didn't believe him, but if Frank didn't want his help then Pony wasn't going to push the issue any further. It wasn't as though he wanted to be the one driving. He was just considering the safety of all those in the car. Of course, the drive probably wouldn't have been any safer with him at the wheel.

Frank tapped the wheel and yawned. "Michael, you gotta keep me awake, buddy."

"How do you expect me to do that?"

"Hell, I don't know. Tell me a story or somethin'."

"A story? Shoot, alright. Which one ya' want? Cinderella or The Three Little Pigs."

Frank grinned and shook his head. "You little fucker. I didn't mean a damn bedtime story. Glory, Michael, you think you're funny, doncha'?"

Pony laughed. "Well, ya' set yourself up for that one. Okay, now really, how do I keep you and myself awake?"

"Tell me about your family or somethin'. For as long as we've been friends, you ain't told me much except for your brother bein' your guardian and all."

A sickened feeling fell over Pony's gut. It had been a long time since he'd seen his brothers or anyone from Tulsa for that matter. He wouldn't see them again, either. He pushed passed the nausea and nodded.

"What about 'um?"

"Jesus, Michael, I don't know. I'm just trying to stay awake here."

Pony laughed, despite the feelings he was getting from thinking about his brothers. "Well, Darry's my oldest brother. We used to fight all the time, but we eventually got over it."

Frank laughed. "Ya' know I always wanted an older brother? I ended up with a sister, though."

"I wouldn't have survived with a sister."

"Yeah, I figured. So, what got you and your brother to stop fightin'?"

Pony looked forward, tapping his fingers along his leg. "Uh, well, that would be my other brother, Sodapop. He went off to war and we figured it wouldn't be fair to be at each other's throats with him away and all."

Frank glanced at Pony and grimaced. Pony's face had fallen. Frank said, "I'm sorry about that. Is he good or..?"

Pony looked over, clearing his throat. "Oh yeah, he's fine. He came back in one piece, thankfully."

Frank nodded. "That's good then."

Pony agreed. "Yeah, it is." He looked back to the road. "So, what about your family?"

Frank tightened his grip on the wheel for a second and bit his lip. "Well, I told you about my sister already." He laughed a little and continued, "And I told ya' a while back that my dad was a military guy." Pony nodded and Frank let out a breath. "We weren't a real happy house, Michael. That's why I got my shit together and went off to college."

Slowly, Pony turned and stared at his buddy. "I'm sorry, Frank."

Frank shook his head quickly, dismissing the apology. "Naw, don't be sorry." He laughed again. "It's not a big deal. I'm not home anymore." His grip loosened on the wheel. "I mean, my sister got away, too. So, it was okay."

An uncomfortable feeling came over the car and it got quiet. Pony sighed and looked forward. A noise from behind made him jump. He looked back and his eyes got wide.

"Frank, we may have a problem."

Frank looked back. His eyes widened and he cursed. Behind them, with sirens going, was a police car, instructing them to pull over.

"Yeah, Michael, we might."

* * *

**Ohhh shit…What's going to happen to Pony and Frank? And what are Soda, Steve and Darry going to hear from Doctor Milligan? Ahhh…Review and find out! Thanks for reading!**

**~Review**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: S. E. Hinton owns all.**

* * *

Pony looked over at Frank with wide eyes. He was at a loss as to what they should do and he was praying to God that Frank had even a sliver of an idea for the two of them to go off of. Sirens blazed. Frank looked as though he had been hit, his face easily giving away the fact that he was taken totally off guard.

Then he sped up.

"What the hell are you doing?"

No answer.

"Frank, the cops are behind us. Pull over."

No answer.

"Fuck, Frank! We can't run from the cops. This isn't some movie, okay? We don't need to get into a highway chase!"

Frank stepped harder on the gas. "Michael, it would do you some real good to shut up right now. Hold on." Before Pony really had the chance to follow the command they were turning at a sharp angle, forcing him into the car door. He groaned. "We're in a stolen car. I'm not pulling over."

Pony's eyes widened. He was having a tough time wrapping his head around the flashing lights behind them and the trees passing by in a blur outside the window. His breath was heavy and he was starting to sweat. This wasn't supposed to happen. This wasn't supposed to happen.

Frank swerved hard and Pony's head hit the window. It felt like he'd been knocked in the head with a block and he cursed loudly. His vision was dark for a moment as he slowly shook the pain away. The shaking didn't seem to help, though and he groaned.

"Frank, Jesus Christ."

Frank laughed, but it was strange. Pony didn't like the sound of it. "I told you to fuckin' hold on, Michael. Are you havin' a hearing problem?"

No, he wasn't having a hearing problem, but his head was spinning something awful and he really just wanted Frank to stop the car. In all honesty, his stomach was churning and he was ready to throw up. The sirens in the back weren't helping his head. In fact, nothing was helping him- not the motion of the car, not Frank's sadistic idea of funny and not his brain that was trying to think a million miles per minute while its limit was set at a whole lot less than that.

"Frank…" Pony groaned. He held his head in one hand and wrapped the other arm around his stomach. "Shit, I don't feel good."

"What?" Frank looked over. "Don't throw up, man. We gotta ride around in this thing."

"Yeah, I'll make sure to keep it in. Ya' know it's real easy to control."

"Sarcasm is not necessary right now." He looked in the rearview mirror and stepped even harder on the gas. "God damn…"

Frank swerved again, almost knocking into a lamppost. Pony was at least ready this time as he kept his hand as steady as he could against the door to avoid falling into it once again. His head was pounding and he wished they would just pull over.

Frank continued looking back and forth from the front to the back, continuously checking on the distance between them and the cop car. Pony wondered why he wasn't just stopping. Well, he knew _why, _but he really didn't care anymore. He could barely see straight, let alone think clearly. The siren was blaring in his ear. He felt like it was right next to him.

His stomach took another turn for the worst as the car turned another corner. Pony held it down as best as he could, but it was really killing him.

"Frank, I'm not kidding around. I'm gonna blow chunks."

"Hold on, Michael."

"No, man, I gotta-"

"Michael! Just hold on!"

Everything in the next moment happened quickly, but at the same time the whole scene moved in slow motion. One second they were going straight. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, Frank swerved as hard as he could right. There was no road, no path, only woods. Pony let out a yell as the sirens faded slightly, obviously not ready for Frank's rerouted plan.

The car flew through the wooded area, hitting trees and other nature-like items. Pony was in a daze- all he saw were colors of leaves. He wasn't sure what was happening; there was still an urge to throw up.

"Jesus Christ!" Frank shouted. He seemed angrier than Pony could ever remember seeing him. "The brake fuckin' stalled!"

The words didn't register in Pony's mind. He didn't understand what was happening. He was in pain and slowly losing consciousness from the hit to his head. He was trying to talk, but he was having a tough time doing even that. Finally, his brain got his mouth to comprehend that he wanted to speak words. He started to talk.

"What's goin-"

He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence before their car dropped off of something and they fell.

* * *

"Yeah, we're lookin' for a Doctor Milligan?"

Soda stared carefully at the receptionist at the desk. She held the hospital phone in one hand and a cigarette in the other. It seemed a bit ironic. She was a middle-aged woman, tired looking and Soda was sure she had a few kids running around at home. She just looked like that kind of person.

She didn't smile at them. Instead, she put the phone down and checked a piece of paper.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No ma'am, but we need to speak with him about our brother- he was a patient of his."

"I'm sorry, Sir, but unscheduled visits aren't allowed."

Darry smiled politely. "Listen, we have a bit of a situation and we were told to talk to the doctor about it. So, if you don't mind?"

"Once again, I'm sorry, but you must schedule an appointment."

Darry seemed to be taking a much calmer approach at the situation, but Soda could feel his nerves dancing on a thin line. They were going to snap eventually and he was surprised that Darry was able to act so passive about the situation.

He spoke up. "Listen, lady." She looked over at him with a surprised expression. "We don't have time to schedule a damn appointment right now. Okay? We need to figure some stuff out and to do that we need to speak with Doctor Milligan. So, stop tryin' to lay down the law and let him know we're here for a fuckin' appointment."

Darry's eyes widened and Steve whistled low. This wasn't the first time they'd seen Soda pull something like this after the war, but it was the first time he decided to show it off in public. Darry cringed slightly, ready to hear that they were going to be escorted out.

The lady at the desk stared at Soda before slowly nodding her head and picking up the phone. "I'll let him know."

Darry let out a silent sigh of relief while Steve stuffed his hands in his pocket. Soda nodded and looked towards the ground.

He was gonna find his baby brother. And he was gonna find him soon.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long! I was on vacation and then some personal things came up. I'm back, though! And we're gonna get back on track! Thanks for reading Lovelies!**

**I'm going to see that movie Temptation in a few minutes and I'm SO EXCITED. Oh my gosh, I've been waiting forever to see it! Haha, again, thanks for reading.**

**~Review**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

Frank's head rolled around for a moment. He coughed a little and could feel a shot of pain from where the airbag nailed his chest. He coughed, and then looked over at his friend. Whatever the car had slipped off of was not very high, but it gave the car enough of a jolt to knock Ponyboy out.

Frank groaned and pushed himself up a little. "Fuck…" He hit the steering wheel with his fist and looked over again. "Michael." He hit his arm. "Michael, buddy, you gotta get up, man."

Pony made no movement and Frank looked up, trying to take deep breaths. He wasn't really hurt, but Ponyboy wasn't looking too hot. They couldn't go to a hospital, though- not if they didn't want to be found at least.

"We gotta get the hell outta dodge." Frank shifted himself over between the two seats. He shook Ponyboy. "Michael…Michael, wake up." As he continued to shake, it seemed to be doing no good. He patted Pony's cheek. "Wake the fuck up, man. I'm not joking around."

Frank knew for a fact that the cops would be turning around any second. They wouldn't drive their cars into the woods, but they sure as hell would try and act like tough guys and try to hunt them down.

Sighing, he shook Pony hard and slapped his face. It was a lot rougher than the other times and Pony seemed to come to. He groaned and immediately reached for his head.

"Wha…"

"No time to talk." Frank shook his head. "C'mon, Michael, we need to go."

Frank hopped out of the car and noticed they had slipped into a small ditch. He got to the passenger side. He quickly opened the door and hoisted Ponyboy up so that he was leaning on his shoulder. His feet touched the ground, but he didn't seem to have much balance.

"We have to hurry. They'll be here soon."

"Who will?"

"The cops, Michael! C'mon, buddy, keep up with me here." Frank laughed and Pony just shook his head slowly. A sudden look crossed his face and Frank watched. "Are you-"

"I'm gonna puke."

"Shit!"

Pony let the contents of his stomach out as Frank moved to the side as much as he could while still supporting his friend.

"Seriously?" Frank asked. There was a strange anger to his voice. Well, not necessarily anger, but more like impatience. He glared at his friend.

Pony didn't answer. Frank could hear voices from behind them. He sighed before helping Pony to lean against the car for a moment. They weren't going to have a chance to run- not when Ponyboy was half out of his wits. He quickly went in through the passenger door and opened the glove box. Inside, he found what he needed- a gun. He thanked God that the people who they stole the car from were not idiots.

As the voices got closer frank walked over to Pony and pushed him towards the ground slowly.

"Stay down, Michael."

The voices came closer, as though someone nearby turned up the volume on something. Frank's palms were sweaty and he was tensing something awful. His friend stayed on the ground, but his head swayed slowly and he looked ready to pass out again any second.

Frank shook his head, knowing that there was no way in hell that they could go to a hospital. It was too dangerous- more dangerous than them _not _going to get help. They both were running and someone was liable to find them if they did anything severely stupid.

Running to the nearest hospital would be severely stupid.

"I see the car!"

Frank heard one of the police yell before footsteps quickened their pace. Frank cocked the gun, thankful that shells were already in it and lifted it in front of himself with his arms out straight.

Pony, barely in his right mind, gave Frank a bewildered look before shaking his head. "What are you doing?" He struggled to speak. "Put that thing down."

"You need to shut up," Frank whispered angrily. His temper flared. He often got like this when situations caused his adrenaline to start pumping. He could never help it. It was the same thing that happened when his dad, the military man, would start taking off his belt to beat him. Frank remembered nights where he would have no idea what he had done and his dad would just start wailing on him. His father's anger was passed down to him unfortunately and as hard as he tried to reign it in it still seemed to show up every once and a while.

"Frank, you can't-"

Frank swung his leg back and kicked Pony hard, causing a slight yelp from Ponyboy. The look on Pony's face was one of complete disbelief. Frank just shook his head and made a shushing motion with his finger. At that point, Pony didn't know what to think so he shut his trap.

By the time Frank turned back the police were coming to a stop at the top of the ditch. Both were about to climb down when they spotted the gun in Frank's hand. They froze.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Frank warned.

Both men watched Frank carefully. One of them, the older one who had grey hair and a mustache stared carefully. He lifted his hands up to show he meant no harm.

"Son," he started quietly. "Now, why don't you just put that gun down? We don't want any trouble."

"Oh, yeah?" Frank asked with raised eyebrows. "Then why were you chasing our car?"

"The car was reported stolen," the younger of the two spoke up. His hair was blond and cut short. He stared defiantly at Frank and, unlike his partner, did not lift his hands to surrender. He took a small step forward. "We needed to check it out."

"Well, that's my car." Frank nodded towards the destroyed vehicle.

Ponyboy watched the exchange between the men, wishing he could move. His head was spinning, though, and he could barely see straight. He really wished that Frank would put down the gun.

"Is that so?" the younger one asked. He stepped down into the ditch slightly. "Well, then you won't mind if we take a look."

Frank aimed the gun right at him.

"James," the older cop spoke. "He's got a gun."

"Yeah, Marcus. And we're cops. We got our own."

As soon as James started to reach back for his weapon, Frank clenched his teeth. Even in his delirium Pony saw what was going to happen.

"Frank!"

But it was too late. Frank shot the younger cop and then cocked the gun again, pointing towards the older man.

"You're next, buddy."

"Frank!"

"Now, hold up." The cop was shaking at the sight of his partner being shot down. He seemed scared out of his wits. He backed up. "We can clear this up, son. Your friend needs a hospital. I can give you a ride and we can clear this all up."

"Fat chance, old man."

And then the older cop hit the ground. Ponyboy didn't know whether to cry or try and gather up all his energy to throttle Frank. Frank just stood and stared at the bodies on the ground. He was a little surprised himself that he actually shot the men, but he had to. He knew that.

"We need to leave." Frank mumbled quietly. He continued to stare at the bodies. He dropped the gun, shaking.

"No shit." Pony said angrily. He looked away from the bodies as he felt tears infest his eyes. "What the fuck were you thinking?"

Frank turned fast and glared angrily at Pony. "I did what I had to. They would have arrested us."

"You killed them! They're dead!"

"Yeah, they are! And I did it for you, too. So, ya' know what? You're God damn welcome."

Pony clenched his teeth and despite the God awful pain in his head he found the strength to yell. "For me? I never asked you to kill somebody! How the hell was this for me?"

Frank threw his hands up in the air. "You were the one who wanted to run off and find out what was goin' on at school!" He took a threatening step towards Pony. "And you would have had a helluva time doin' that behind bars. So, yeah, for you!"

Pony got quiet. Tears were slipping from his eyes, but he didn't care. The dead bodies on the ground were staring him in the face.

"You didn't need to shoot them."

Frank sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. He breathed slowly. Everything could have been ruined in one moment. He saved them, but his friend didn't seem to care.

"Yes, I did." He spoke a lot more calmly than he had before. He reached for Ponyboy's arm. "We need to go, though."

Pony shrugged his arm away from Frank forcefully. He dug his heels into the ground and struggled to stand with the support of the car. His vision spun momentarily, but he quickly got it aligned. His head was pounding like a drum, but he was able to walk.

"Don't touch me."

Yeah, he was gonna leave with Frank, but he sure as hell wasn't gonna let Frank help him.

"You might fall," Frank spoke slowly.

Pony turned and eyed him with extreme anger. "Then, I'll fall. At least I'll still be alive."

And then they walked.

* * *

"Have a seat, please." Doctor Milligan smiled warmly at the three young men who entered his office. It was strange to have three random men all show up at once and demand to speak with him. He, of course, had seen much stranger than that within his time doing his job.

All three found a seat and the doctor watched them carefully.

"So, you were pretty anxious to see me?"

The one in the middle, with blond hair stared straight through the doctor. His eyes were raging, but at the same time they looked lost. Doctor Milligan watched them carefully. The biggest of the three cleared his throat and nodded slowly.

"Um, yes. We were- Well, we were directed to come to you about our brother."

Doctor Milligan gave a questioning stare. "Your brother?"

"Yeah, he's been missing. Well, he hasn't been to his dorm in a few days. His roommate told us to try and find you." Darry took a slow breath. "His name is Ponyboy, but I think he may go by Michael here. Michael Curtis."

Doctor Milligan nodded, but then slowly shook his head. "I do know of a Michael Curtis." He looked up slowly. "But I can't recall him mentioning any brothers."

At that point the blond haired one looked up and gave Doctor Milligan a glare. "He's our brother." He glanced towards the bigger fellow. "He ain't answered his phone in God knows how long and we came here to find out he was gone. We just want some answers."

Though his tone wasn't hostile, it was obvious to Doctor Milligan that the blond boy's nerves were on edge. He sure did know Michael and it was true that he wasn't around the past few days. He licked his lips and nodded.

"What have you heard?"

The bigger one leaned forward. "Ponyboy was part of a group- a recovery one? From an incident they witnessed."

"Yes, that is true. Not too long ago a freshman student jumped from her window. The students who witnessed it were having trouble getting through it. They came to me. Your brother was one of them."

"Was Ponyboy doing okay?"

Doctor Milligan nodded his head almost immediately. "He was much better off than some of them. Don't get me wrong, he was obviously affected, but he wasn't taking as drastic of measures with his feelings."

The third one who had yet to speak replied. "Drastic measures? What kind of drastic measures?"

Doctor Milligan got eerily silent. He looked down and tapped his fingers on top of his leg. Biting his lip, he looked back up and gave a struggled reply. "A few of the students who witnessed the event committed suicide themselves." He nodded his head. "They were struggling more than we thought."

The blond one's face suddenly dropped and Doctor Milligan sat up a little.

"I highly doubt that anything like that has gone on with Ponyboy, though. Believe me, he was nowhere near severe with his case."

"Well, you were wrong about the others, weren't you?" The blond one questioned.

The bigger one rested a hand on his shoulder. "Sodapop, it's alright," he muttered. He looked back up at Doctor Milligan. "Do you have any ideas of where Ponyboy might be?"

Doctor Milligan felt a pain hit him at the thought of the kids who ended their lives. He had no clue where Michael Curtis was. For all he knew, the boy could have been as dead as the others. "I'm sorry, but I don't."

The big one nodded and stood. He reached for the doctor's hand and gave it a shake, thanking him. The other two stood, but made no move to the doctor.

The blond one stood much more abruptly and left quickly. The other two followed suit, but not in as much of a hurry.

Doctor Milligan hung his head and placed it in his heads. Another one was gone. He failed another one. He wasn't sure what he'd done wrong. He wished he knew. He felt himself become overwhelmed with emotion. He quickly left the room.

He didn't plan on coming back.

* * *

**Thanks for reading Loves! Reviews make me feel wonderful!**

**~Review**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: It's a day late. Read note at end. Thanks.**

**Disclaimer: Stop reminding me.**

* * *

"Michael."

It was the fifth time that Frank tried to grab Pony's attention. He was having no luck. Ponyboy decided long ago that talking to Frank was only going to end up with a fight between the two. He'd kept his mouth shut and continued walking, even with the pounding in his head.

Frank was going back and forth between walking beside Pony and going behind him to make sure he wouldn't fall back. In all honesty, his friend was looking far from good.

Pony kept his head forward and tried his best to ignore the pain. It was horrible and he knew he shouldn't be walking around, but he didn't have much of a choice. Frank shot the cops. And now they were on the run for something else.

"Michael."

Ponyboy stopped this time. He turned and glared angrily at his friend. If a fight did erupt, the problem would probably be over once the fight ended- Ponyboy knew this. At the same time, though, he couldn't deal with a fight. He'd already been banged up from the car wreck and he was ready to pass out at any moment.

Frank stared back and sighed. "I'm sorry, alright? I freaked out."

Pony gave Frank an angry look. His friend was such an idiot- a coward even. How could he be so dumb as to kill somebody? Especially when they were trying to stay hidden. If someone were following them, they more than likely heard the gunshots.

Even with the pressure in his skull, Ponyboy stepped forward and gave Frank a shove. "You shot them," Pony spat back coldly. "And you kicked me."

Frank wanted so badly to shove Ponyboy back once he caught his balance, but seeing how pale his friend's face was he changed his mind. It was too obvious that his friend was in bad condition. Pony stepped forward to push him again, but Frank stopped him.

"How could you kill them?" Pony growled out.

Frank rubbed a hand over his face. "My temper kicked in!" He stepped forward. "I didn't even realize I was doing it. I couldn't control myself…I'm sorry."

"So, you've said." Pony rubbed at his head. "You _shot _them."

"What was I supposed to do? Let them arrest us? Michael, I didn't have a choice."

Ponyboy looked away and towards the ground. Frank was right. They really _didn't _have much of a choice, but he never wanted anyone to die. The whole point of him leaving was so no one else would get hurt.

Ponyboy looked back up. Frank was right. He shouldn't be, but he was. He knew what he was talking about. Ponyboy was upset still, but he understood. He took a deep breath.

"Okay."

"Okay?" Frank stepped up to Ponyboy. "What does 'okay' mean?"

"It means that I don't like what happened, but I know it had to."

"So you're not mad?"

"I guess not. At least I'm not anymore."

Frank seemed to understand Pony's reasoning and started walking again. Pony followed slowly. His head felt no better, even with his anger dying down slightly. Frank seemed to notice his friend's lack of enthusiasm and gave him a look.

"Is it your head?"

Pony nodded.

"You may have a concussion."

Ponyboy nodded again and Frank sighed. He looked ahead and then back to Ponyboy.

"We need to get out of these woods then and find someone who can help."

"Then let's go. 'Cuz my stomach ain't feelin' too hot either."

Frank cringed slightly. "Please don't puke."

Pony gave him a stupid look. "Oh sure. I'll hold it back just for you, buddy."

Frank gave an uncomfortable laugh before walking again. "C'mon, Michael. Let's get the hell outta dodge."

Ponyboy followed his friend through the woods, hoping to God that they found somewhere to stop and sleep. He was having trouble seeing straight. He was sick to his stomach and he just wanted to rest. Frank was much farther ahead of him. He seemed to be walking so much faster.

As they continued to walk through the woods, Pony felt worse. He wanted to tell Frank, but it would do no good to stop where they were. After a while, though, it started to become too much.

"Frank?"

"Michael, I think we're out!"

Ponyboy looked up and saw that Frank was waving him on. Ponyboy cringed at the pain that shot through his head as he slowly walked up to Frank. He reached him and Frank stared.

"Are you okay, man?"

"It's my head."

Frank stared for another moment before pointing behind himself. "Look at that. I think I found us a resting point." Ponyboy looked where Frank was indicating and saw it. The place looked like a small town- an old, small town.

"It looks like a ghost town."

Frank grinned. "C'mon, we're gonna get you some help."

The boys exited the woods and left out into the sunlight. The town did in fact look vacant until a little girl could be seen playing with her dog out in the yard. She looked over at them, grinned, and then waved. Frank stared at the little girl and Pony made no expression. The little girl stopped her waving, frowned and ran back to her house, the dog following close behind.

Pony spotted a gas station and nudged Frank. Frank's eyes followed and both of the young men started to head towards it. It looked just as ancient as the rest of the town- maybe even a little older. They reached the door and stepped inside, a bell ringing as they did so.

An old man at the counter looked up. His gray hair reached the bottom of his neck and his face was worn and wrinkled. He narrowed his eyes as both boys entered. Frank looked over at Ponyboy who gave him a nervous glance. They both looked back to the counter as the old man set down the newspaper he was reading.

"Can I help you?" His voice was gruff and Ponyboy could tell that he was a smoker. Frank stared quietly before nodding.

"Uh, my friend here hit his head while we were playing football. Do you all have a doctor or hospital around here?"

The old man raised his eyebrows. "Where the hell were you two playin' football? You don't live here." He glared. "This damn town is small enough that I'd know."

At that moment, an older lady appeared from the back. She also had gray hair, but hers was long and brushed nicely. She reminded Ponyboy of a sweet grandmother or the nice lady on the street who always gave out the best treats on Halloween. She looked at the older man before noticing Pony and Frank. She smiled sweetly.

"Well, hi there. Can we help you?"

The old man spoke up. "No we cannot. They say they were playin' football and one knocked himself good on the head." He snarled. "'Cept I know they weren't playin' no football because they ain't from around here. Are you?"

The old lady looked worried. "One of you is hurt?" She gave Ponyboy a look. "And I have no doubt in my mind that it's you?" She stepped forward and stared at him carefully. "You hit your head? Why don't you come in the back and I'll take a look for you."

"Lilly!" The older man spoke up from his chair. "They ain't from here. I just told ya' they weren't playin' no football. Now, they could be dangerous." He narrowed his eyes and started to get up. "I'm gonna get out my gun."

She rolled her eyes. "For God's sake, Cecil, there will be no need for that! You are the most paranoid person I know."

"And for good reason. They could hurt you, woman. Is that what you want?"

The older woman, Lilly, shot Cecil a look with pursed lips. She pointed a finger at him. "Don't you think these two would have done something by now? They're just some innocent boys and one of them is hurt." She turned back toward Pony and Frank and smiled. "Honey, I'll check your head for you. I've got some stuff in the back."

"That's really alright, Ma'am," Frank spoke up. He gave Cecil a weary look. "We just need directions to a hospital."

She laughed. "Well, you won't find one for a long while." She glanced outside the store, as if she were looking for something. She looked back. "Especially if you're walking wherever it is you're going."

Pony and Frank looked at each other once more. Lilly motioned for Ponyboy. "C'mon, now. I'll help you out."

Reluctantly, Ponyboy followed her.

* * *

"So where are you from?" Lilly asked quietly as she dabbed at a wound on the side of Ponyboy's head. He didn't realize it was there until she pointed out. It wasn't bad- just a small scrape that needed patching up. She worked quickly and carefully. Her touch was soft. It reminded Ponyboy so much of his mother and her gentle ways. It made him want to choke up a bit as he remembered the feeling of his mother- the one he hadn't felt since he was thirteen.

"Colorado." Frank spoke up quickly before Ponyboy got the chance to answer. He gave Pony a look that said to agree. "We were on a road trip when we decided to stop and toss the football around. It got a little rougher than we planned."

"Well, that's nice." Lilly smiled. "I always tried to talk Cecil into a road trip, but he never wanted to. The old man is too attached to this town to go anywhere else." She stopped what she was doing and raised her eyebrows to Frank. "So where's your car then? And your football?"

At her questions, Frank seemed to be at a loss. Ponyboy was just as clueless as of what to say. Lilly held a hand up, though, as soon as Frank opened her mouth.

"You don't have to tell me anything. My mother always taught me not to talk to strangers, too," she conceded, going back to Ponyboy.

Frank swallowed and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Ponyboy bit his lip.

"So, how long have you and Cecil been married?" Ponyboy asked, hoping to break the tension-filled silence.

Lilly laughed. "Cecil and I aren't married." She grinned. "We're friends. We just own this little gas station together."

"You're joking?" Frank was in disbelief. "You act like a married couple."

She shrugged her shoulders, but chuckled. "Well, I guess we do. We've been friends for a long, long time." It got quiet again, until Lilly spoke up once more. "Cecil was married to this beautiful woman for a very long time. They had a little boy, Greg." Her face turned sullen as she blew out a small breath. "Greg was hit by a car when he was eleven and died. Cecil was just devastated. He loved that boy more than anything." She gave Pony a bag of frozen peas before giving a sad smile. "He and his wife split after that and he's been a mess ever since. And it's been a damn long time."

"Is that why he's such a jerk?" Frank questioned.

Ponyboy looked at him with wide eyes, not believing that his friend would ask something like that. After seeing the look, Frank shook his head slowly and gave an apologizing look to Lilly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean…"

Lilly shook her head and discarded the apology. "No, no. it's okay. It's true. He's been a mean, old man ever since." She laughed. "Don't be offended. He just comes off as a bad guy. He's really not."

It got silent again and Lilly finished Ponyboy up. "There you go!" She spoke cheerfully. She wiped her hands. "You should be alright. I have some aspirin if you'd like."

Ponyboy felt relief wash over him. He may have been fixed up, but his head was still banging like a drum.

"That would be great."

Lilly left to get the medicine and soon arrived back. She handed it to Ponyboy as he thanked her.

"Well, I guess we should be headin' out. We don't want to be a burden," Frank said.

At his comment, Lilly almost looked offended and she was quickly shaking her head. "I don't think so." She pointed at Ponyboy. "Now, you are not healthy enough to be doing whatever it is that you two think you are doing. You can stay in the extra room above the diner across the street."

Ponyboy glanced at Frank. "We can't really afford that…"

"I'll pay for that."

"We can't ask you for that…"

"You're not asking. I'm offering."

The boys both gave each other uneasy and unsure looks. They knew nothing of these people, but at the same time they were in need of a place to rest. They were in need of sleep and Pony needed to heal. There was no doubt in his mind that he was suffering from a concussion.

Slowly, Frank smiled. "Yeah, thank you. That'd be really good."

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, so, nothing too big this chapter. Next chapter is all Darry, Soda and Steve.**

**Also, I wanted to say that I'm kind of disappointed about reviews…I was averaging five to seven a chapter and now I'm only getting like three? I'm sorry to complain. It's just that the less reviews I have, the less inspiration I have. So, I will shamelessly beg(: If you've reviewed this story before, it would mean so much if you reviewed again. It will strengthen my muse! Thank you all so much for reading!**

**~Review**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Yeah, no.**

* * *

Soda eyed the bar in front of him with great intensity. It was a darkish brown. Scratches scattered about it from what he only could assume was glasses. A beer bottle was placed in front of him, but he paid no mind. His head was spinning with confusion, his temper was enflamed. He didn't quite understand the situation with his younger brother and it was frustrating.

He left Steve and Darry back at the hospital. He ran off without a word. He strongly doubted that they had any clue of his whereabouts.

He grabbed the bottle but made no other movement. He simply watched it, trying to think of something- anything- to help find his brother. Ponyboy was twenty years old-that was too young to be running around by your lonesome. Vicious memories of when Ponyboy and Johnny ran to Windrixville crossed his mind. That week was torture. This one wasn't any better.

He let the bottle go, unsure of what he really wanted. He wanted Ponyboy. He wanted his brother back. They'd lost too much.

They'd lost way too much.

A few moments later he could feel a presence in front of him. He didn't look up, didn't even draw his eyes away from the bar and bottle. Not even when the clearing of a throat could be heard did he divert his attention. He sat quietly, sullenly- praying and hoping.

"Hey, buddy. That stuff never tastes good warm."

The voice helped his mind drift away momentarily. He shifted his gaze. A big man stood in front of him- the bartender. He was a bit burly looking, with a brown beard that was thick. He watched the man closely. He brought his fingers slowly towards the cool bottle as he frowned. He lifted the beer and took a sip, setting it back down. He never lost his gaze of the man.

"You alright?" The tone was one that Soda was used to hearing. It almost enraged him. He had gotten it the entire time he'd been back from 'Nam. _Oh, it must've been horrible, Are you okay, It must have been tough, It's good to see you up and running. _He'd had to bite his tongue at every pitiful glance he received. They came around far too often for his liking.

For a moment, Soda considered telling the guy to fuck off, but then he thought better of it. He merely shrugged before opening his mouth to respond.

"I'm just lookin' for somebody."

The bartender pulled out a rag and started wiping down the counter. He gave a Soda an understanding look then proceeded to push Soda's beer closer to him.

"Well, I'm sorta the eyes and ears of this town." He smiled. "If you need some help that is."

Soda looked thoughtful for a moment before waving him off. "I doubt ya' know him."

"Try me."

Soda picked up the bottle of beer, twirled it in his hand and stared at it longingly. He sighed. There were a million doubts in his mind that this guy knew anything, but would it really hurt to try?

"He goes by Michael," Soda said suddenly. "Michael Curtis."

The bartender stopped all of his motions. He stared at Sodapop, well to the point that it seemed as if he were frozen in place. Soda stared back as well. The reaction he received was not the reaction he expected. The man let go of his rag and ran his fingers back through his rough hair. He cleared his throat, but made no move to speak.

"You know him then?" Soda questioned. "You gotta know him when you're lookin' at me like that."

The bartender looked confused. "How do you know Michael?"

"He's my brother," Soda announced quickly. He leaned forward, setting his beer down with force. "What do you know about him? How can I find him?"

The man shook his head before giving Soda an interrogative look. "Why are you looking for him?"

Soda threw his hands up in the air. "Because he's my brother, God Damnit!" Heads turned to them inside the bar. Soda breathed heavily but lowered down slightly. He took a deep breath. He felt like dynamite, ready to go off at any given moment. "We've been lookin' for him- Me and my other brother. We ain't heard from him in two weeks."

At this point the bartender looked unsure of what to say. He bit his lip and scratched the back of his head. "What's your name, son?"

"Sodapop."

"Is that some sort of a joke?"

Soda glared. "Do I look like I'm in the joking mood?" He sighed. "Listen, I just wanna find my brother. That's all I want right now."

The man considered this statement for a moment before slowly nodding. "I don't know what I can do for you, but I know some stuff- more than other people around here. I knew your brother pretty well." He leaned onto the bar and looked at Soda seriously. "But, son, I gotta know I can trust you. Your brother-" He took a quick breath. "Your brother was in some serious trouble. And I gotta know that you're here for the right reasons."

Soda put one hand on the bar. He stared right through the bartender. "I swear on my dead parents' graves. I want to find my brother."

The man nodded then looked around. "Then why don't you come to the back with me?"

* * *

"I'm Roy by the way," the man stated as he opened the door to the back room of the bar. Soda started to feel a small ounce of hope well up inside his chest. He followed Roy with his mind calculating all the possibilities. This guy knew something. Roy knew something.

Roy could help him.

"Your brother talked to me a few times, especially before he left."

"Left?" Soda asked suddenly. "So he's alright, then? No one took him?" That was something. He was getting somewhere. He promised himself the Ponyboy was going to be his number one priority. He would find his brother- even if it caused death to wrap its slimy fingers around his neck and drag him down from all his effort.

Roy sat down at a table and motioned for Soda to sit down as well. He folded his hands. "I don't know where your brother is right now, but I know what way he went and where he was planning to go."

A part of Soda deflated. He looked helpless for a split second. "You have no idea where he is?"

Roy held his hands up. "Now, I didn't say that."

Soda slowly sat down. "There's nothing definite, though…" He took a deep breath. "How did you even know him?"

"I met Michael a couple of years ago. It wasn't until a few months ago, though, that I actually talked to him." Roy suddenly laughed. "Kid came in here looking for a drink. I knew he was underage, but hell, he looked like shit. It wasn't long before I found out he was one of the kids who saw that poor girl fall outta her window."

Soda suddenly nodded. "We heard about that. And the meetings with Doctor Milligan….And the other deaths."

Roy frowned. "Yeah, well, Michael came in here a lot after that. We didn't always talk, but one night I caught him messing around with some files." He looked up at Soda. "Your brother was figuring something out. He…He was onto something. He thought those suicides were anything but."

Soda shook his head slowly. His mind was swarming with thoughts. "You mean, they weren't killing themselves?"

Roy leaned forward. "If you woulda seen what your brother had figured out, you'd have been convinced, too."

Soda took a long, deep breath. It didn't calm his nerves. It didn't lower his anxiety. His head felt ready to explode- his heart ready to give out. This was a lot to take in. The whole story was a lot to take in. It was definitely more than he thought he would hear. This all was the last thing he expected.

"So why did he leave? Why didn't he figure the rest of it out?"

"Your brother," Roy started slowly. "Your brother found a note. It was a threat. He assumed it was from whoever was offing all his buddies. He decided to leave the next day. I was the last person he saw before he left."

Soda didn't know what to say or do. Pony never called him or told him anything. Something inside of him was crashing and burning all at once. His little brother- his _baby _brother- never told him anything. He hadn't even hinted at it. They'd been pretty close as a family before Soda left for 'Nam. Hell, he and Ponyboy were close once he got back and they only talked over the phone. There was no reason- on earth, heaven or hell- for his brother to not have told him. He didn't understand. He was even more bemused by these small facts than anything else he'd learned.

"I need to find him."

Roy nodded his head understandingly. "Like, I said. I don't know where he is now. He was heading south, though. He was going to follow Florence Lane until he reached the main road. After that, though, you've gotta search on your own."

There was a sudden crash from out in the bar area. Roy cursed.

"Shit. Sounds like a fight."

He quickly stood and hurried out of the room. Soda looked around and bit his lip. Pony left for the South. It surprised him just a little. Everyone ran South- _everyone. _Pony was not stupid. He didn't seem dumb enough to run south. Then a sudden idea reached Soda's head.

What if Roy was lying?

Would he, though? Would this man lie when Soda was so desperate? How would he have any idea? There was truly no way of knowing. Soda continued to look around the room until he spotted something on the table: keys. He stared at them. He needed to find Ponyboy. He needed to get to his brother. And he needed to do it on his own.

Without a second thought, Soda grabbed the keys and left out the back door of the bar, not even thinking about glancing back.

* * *

**I know it's short. I've been busy. Next one will be at least 3000 words. I promise. **

**Thanks for reviews last time. I got a few more than normal! Keep them coming, though. Even if it's one word, it's appreciated and it lets me know that you guys are still there. If you've reviewed before, please KEEP IT UP! It honestly helps my muse a helluva lot more than anything else.**

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	12. Chapter 12

**Due to an anonymous review, I just want you all to know that I have always appreciated reviews when I've gotten them. Every single one means the world to me, but a lot of you stopped reviewing and I just wanted to make sure that it wasn't my fault. So, again, PLEASE continue reviewing. One word from ya'll is all I need to be motivated! SO please review Loves! And THANK YOU!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

Darry and Steve sat quietly in the truck as the sun lowered farther and farther down beyond the horizon. Soda was nowhere to be seen, having run off and left both his brother and friend behind at the hospital- neither of which received the opportunity to tell where Soda had left to. Each tried to catch up, but Soda seemed to know when to get a bit of steam on his engine. He seemed to know when to do a lot of things since Vietnam.

Darry tapped the steering wheel impatiently. He was thinking, but there wasn't just one thought rustling through his mind. There were hundreds- maybe thousands- drifting around and fighting one another to reach the top. Which one would he consider first? He wasn't sure. He felt broken, though, a feeling that he hadn't known since a very long time before.

Steve was sitting beside him, but Darry couldn't tell where the younger man's mind ended up at. He seemed to be struggling inside his own head, too. Every now and again, his forehead would crinkle up into tiny wrinkles. He would stare straight ahead, eyes not even twitching the slightest bit, before he would notice Darry's stare and avert his attention somewhere else.

He was at a loss as of what to do. Go after Soda. Go after Ponyboy. Go hide away forever and never have to deal with the unforgiving universe ever again. The only option that he absolutely refused to consider was going home. He would not go home. He would not leave behind his baby brother.

_His _baby brother. His currently psychologically incompetent baby brother. Ponyboy. How anything like this could ever happen to his brother, he didn't know. Did they not learn to trust one another? Did they not fix things long ago between their family? How could Ponyboy not tell them? How could he just-?

"What are we gonna do, Dar?" Steve's voice came out of nowhere. His words came out desperate and worry-filled. It was the first time Steve kept his expression on Darry. He spotted distress all over his friend's face. Steve really looked a bit troubled- which was something he was rarely described as.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean once Soda gets back," he explained before leaning forward. "Dar, we got people back at home. We can't keep runnin' around down here. I want to find the brat just as much as the next guy, but we've got responsibility."

It suddenly hit Darry that Steve's first priorities included home. His mind wasn't searching for some kind of distraction. It was searching for other things to do. He wasn't worrying about Ponyboy- not the way Darry was.

Darry clenched a fist slightly. The brat comment didn't dig under his skin too much- It was all just Steve being Steve. His tone, though, the way he said it made it seem like finding Ponyboy wasn't that big of a deal. And any poor sucker better damn well have believed that it was the most important mission in the entire universe. He glared daggers towards his friend.

His blood was boiling because Steve should have known. He should have known that this wasn't any different than Windrixville. This situation was probably one hundred times worse. This situation would be the death of Darry if he never found Ponyboy. He gulped at that possibility.

He then turned towards the younger man. "You listen to me, now. I ain't leavin' to go back home 'til I've found my brother." He took a deep death. "You go do whatever the hell you want. I've got a brother that's been my responsibility since he was thirteen. And I don't care if he's twenty or seventy-two, but I'm gonna take care of him before anything else."

Steve held his hands up in defense. "I hear you, alright? I'm just playin' devil's advocate here. You got bills to pay. I got bills to pay." Steve stared carefully at the older man. "And this is important, but you've gotta put it into perspective."

Something inside of Darry snapped at that moment. Before anyone could do anything he reeled back his fist and let it fly forward, landing right on Steve's nose. A cringe-worthy crunch could be heard and Darry pulled his hand back, anger still flashing over his eyes. He shook his hand out as Steve yelped and grabbed his nose.

"Put that into perspective, you piece of shit." His voice rose. "What if it were your brother? Huh? Would you put it into perspective, then?"

Steve could do nothing. There was an enormous pain bubbling from his nose. He opened the truck door and hopped out. Something inside of Darry told himself to stop his friend, but he made no move. Steve made his bed and now he was going to lie in it.

Steve stumbled off- whether from anger or confusion Darry was unsure- but he watched as his friend walked away before starting the truck back up and driving.

* * *

"Hey, Michael."

Frank walked over to the desk that Ponyboy was sitting at. Papers and files were spread across the table- clips and marks and pens and God knows what scattered the area. Frank scanned it over. He wondered how his friend could ever be so smart. How could one guy know how to do this kind of research? It was bemusing. He ran his fingers over a picture of Andrea, the start of all their messes.

"What's goin' on, man?" Pony glanced behind his shoulder at Frank. Frank shrugged then motioned towards the papers and notes. He leaned against the desk and kept his eyes glued to his friend's work.

"You got anything yet?"

Pony was quiet for a moment as he bit his lip. He finally gave a soft nod. "I think so. You remember that guy, Louis Wilson?"

Frank snorted. "Sure, I remember. He was the asshole assistant to Doctor Milligan." Frank's eyes widened momentarily as the idea came to him. "You think all this shit was him?"

It was an idea and not a totally irrational possibility, but it seemed slightly farfetched. It wasn't as though there were many options, though, and Louis always had an issue with someone from what Frank could remember.

"He always had a thing for Andrea." Ponyboy shrugged. "There could have been a lot of pent up anger."

Frank's eyes fell momentarily and it would have taken a blind man not to notice. Pony quickly shook his head and stared at Frank.

"Man, I'm sorry. I wasn't even thinkin'," Pony muttered quietly. "You and Andrea were about as close as they got."

Frank nodded silently, a strange look on his face. "Yeah, she was somethin'. Ya' know, I was supposed to meet her that night?" Pony kept silent. "In fact, I was on my way over to get her when I watched her fall from that God damn window." Frank sounded strange- uneasy. His eyes were glossed over and it was a wonder that he wasn't already crying. He shook his head. "That bastard, Louis, was always looking at her like a piece of meat. If we can't find the person after us, maybe we could at least pin it on him."

Pony stayed silent. Frank understood that his friend didn't even think about the relationship he'd had with Andrea. Frank and she had been together for quite some time. He was the structured, military-child from the city while she was the sweet, pretty country girl. The night she fell out the window- Frank didn't like to think about it.

Pony looked down at his papers. "Louis was always just so hostile." He changed the subject. "Everything he said. Everything he did. It was like he had an unending anger for us."

Frank nodded slowly, but his mind seemed to be elsewhere. Pony cleared his throat. Frank looked up quietly and met his friend's eyes.

"You wanna talk about it?"

Frank shifted his weight then slowly walked over to one of the beds on the other side of the room. He sat down, perched his elbows on his knees, and then rested his head on his hands. He sighed, and the slight quiver in his breath was obvious. He really didn't want to talk about it. Frank didn't talk. Not about his feelings. Never about his emotions. His dad taught him that it was pathetic to do such a thing.

Frank's father had a knack for using his belt at any time. Crying only made it worse. Crying meant harder punishments. Crying was weak. And no sir, they were not weak in that household. No way.

"You remember that night, Michael?"

"Bits and pieces."

"…You remember what it sounded like when she hit the ground?"

"…Frank…I don't really-"

"Because I do," he interrupted quickly. "I remember every detail. I don't want to. I see her almost every day falling from that stupid room, though. I hear her screaming and I hear her hitting the ground. It should never have happened. I could have stopped it."

Pony shook his head. "Frank you couldn't have done anything. She was in her room. You weren't there yet."

Frank made no reply to the statement. He stayed absolutely silent. There was a tense feeling that blanketed the room. Frank's emotions and Ponyboy's confusion all wrapped up into one. Frank took a quick breath, rubbed his hands over his face then looked up at his friend. He made no emotion readable as he nodded to Ponyboy.

"Ya' know what? I'm kind of tired. I think I'm gonna go to bed."

Pony didn't say anything, but he watched Frank carefully. He wasn't sure what to say. It was understandable that Frank was upset, but Pony wasn't sure what to do. His head was beginning to hurt again from all his thinking. Frank finished lying down and Ponyboy went back to his work.

A few hours later, the covers rustled and Frank sat up slowly. The conversation from earlier was dismissed from his brain. He no longer wanted to think of Andrea and what could have been. When he looked up, Ponyboy was staring at the desk. He wasn't moving or talking.

"Michael…"

Ponyboy turned quickly, obviously unaware that his friend had woken up. His eyes were wide and he looked to be in a state of disbelief. He shook his head slowly.

"Frank, you ain't gonna believe this."

* * *

Soda's hands held tight to the steering wheel. He hadn't been on the road long- in fact it had only been about an hour. He was going, though, and he was going to find his brother by any means necessary. He was driving at a speed that was probably not recommended for most and every now and again he would unclench his fists so they wouldn't cramp up. He was too far into the search to stop, though. Every moment he continued, he was getting closer to his brother- hopefully he was anyways. Not to mention, he was in a stolen car. If he stopped soon, he risked the chance of getting caught. That would ruin everything.

He was on back roads, so not much was going on around him.

He drove. He didn't stop. He couldn't stop. He wasn't going to stop. But then he got an urge.

Mother Nature was calling.

He cursed himself and Mother Nature, for that matter. He sighed, because pissing all over a stolen car was not an option- no matter what the stakes may be. He allowed the car to slow down a bit. There didn't seem to be much for a long while, except a few farm houses. It was dark out, though, and it wasn't likely that any person would see him.

He pulled to the side of the road and hopped out of the car, not bothering to close the door as he kept hold of the keys. He went towards the side of the road, looked around quickly then went about doing his business. It wasn't until he heard a small rustle from nearby that he started to find fear. He zipped himself up, then looked around. He held onto the keys and started to make a run for it, when a loud noise came from behind him. He jumped, dropping the keys in the process.

As he turned, he realized the loud noise had been a bark and the culprit a St. Bernard. He held his hand up to his heart and let out a slight chuckle. Amused by the fact that the dog had freaked him out, Soda didn't have a chance to stop the mutt when it ran up and picked the keys to the car up off the ground.

Before he could do anything, the dog took off in a run.

"Hey!" he yelled then followed with a mutter, "Little shit. Get back here!"

He ran after the dog, which obviously was heading for a distinct location. Soda tried to catch up, but was having no luck as the dog leaped with its long legs. Just as Soda thought he might be gaining, the dog turned into a long driveway.

Soda stopped running then caught his breath. He frowned and held his sides as he stared up at the farmhouse ahead. The long driveway threaded around some trees, but the house was easily visible. Soda watched the dog reach the front porch then slip through a doggy door.

It seemed that there would be a slight delay in Soda's searching.

* * *

"What do you mean?" Frank asked as he sat up even more. Pony motioned him over and he quickly stood, walking towards the desk. "Did you find something?"

"I think I found more than something." Pony leafed through some papers. "Did you know that Doctor Milligan was a part of a murder investigation a while back?"

Frank's eyes widened. "Um, no. What for?"

"Well, it seems as though they were trying to pin him on assisting in the murders. But it didn't follow through. They tried to prove he was giving information on the victims to some guy who was murdering them."

Frank grabbed some of the papers from Ponyboy. "You're kidding me? How the hell did he ever get hired at the hospital?"

Ponyboy shrugged. "Well, for one he wasn't doing the actual killing. Two, he was never technically guilty."

Frank looked at Ponyboy with an insane expression. "Yeah, well, _technically_ he could have been. They just never had enough proof."

"Not enough proof is good enough to free a guilty man."

"Apparently," Frank muttered. He turned. "But a lot of times the Doc was with one of us when another one would off themselves. He couldn't have done it."

Ponyboy smirked. "You're getting better and better at this, buddy." Frank rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know. That's why I think he may be doing it again."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, he's doing the dirty work without ever getting dirty. I think he's telling someone what they want to know and their finishing the job."

Frank nodded slowly. "Yeah, but why?"

Ponyboy bit his lip as he searched through more papers. He finally came upon one that seemed to satisfy him. He stared at it momentarily. It took him a good while before he could speak to his friend. He cleared his throat slowly.

"I don't think Andrea's death was an accident."

Frank's eyes widened even more. He seemed to be at a loss for words. He finally regained his composure and voice. "What?"

Pony took a deep breath. "I don't think Andrea killed herself. I think someone did something to her and was worried about witnesses. I think someone's trying to cover up their tracks the only way they know how."

"That sounds insane, you know that right? Andrea fell out the window! We saw her!" Frank tried to reason. He didn't want to think about what happened to Andrea anymore. Not after the earlier conversation.

"Frank," Pony said slowly. "The way she screamed falling out of that window…Man, it didn't sound like she wanted to fall at all."

Frank didn't know what to say. He held his head with a hand and took a few slow breaths. The world was spinning. He couldn't believe what his friend was saying. He couldn't believe it at all.

"Do you think it was Louis?"

Pony shook his sadly. "I honestly don't know. And I don't want to accuse anybody without being for certain."

Frank looked ready to pass out. He was shaking a little and it was starting to worry Pony. He knew that talking to Frank about Andrea was an iffy idea, but it had to be done.

Frank nodded, though, and stood straight up. "Well, how are we supposed to find out who it was?"

Pony looked back down at his papers, fumbled through them then looked back up. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there."

* * *

**Yes, so here we are! As promised, approximately 3000 words. I'm not sure it hits it spot on, but it's veryyyy close! Thanks so much for reviews. KEEP THEM UP!**

**Just a Reader: I'm not discussing this issue like this. If you have an issue with me, then you better have an account or another way we can communicate because I don't like that you are able to say something to me and I can't reply. And if you aren't old enough for an account then that is another story.**

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	13. Chapter 13

**Yes, I changed my name from _DrunkOnYouuuu _to _Stay Country. _I already confused myself with that so sorry if you struggle.**

**Disclaimer: Please.**

* * *

The next morning the sun rose high in the sky as light filtered through the small blinds of the room Ponyboy and Frank slept in. The brightness reached Pony's eyes and caused them to flutter open. He blinked quickly before slowly sitting up. On the other bed he spotted Frank who was snoring quietly. A memory of the breakthrough he made the night before settled in his mind and he let out a long breath.

They were getting closer.

He wasn't sure he wanted to get into research so early in the morning, though. He needed to wake up and get his brain mobilized so it would be ready. He wondered if the diner below them was open yet as his stomach rumbled slightly. He pulled his legs over the side of the bed and rubbed at his eyes, the grogginess staying over him like a tight blanket. He stood and walked over towards the desk, glancing over his notes and clips. His mind had been traveling a mile a second the previous night. He ran a slow hand over the papers.

His stomach rumbled again and he decided to figure out if there was any good food around. He glanced back over at Frank who let out another snore, though it was louder than the previous. Pony watched for a quick moment before heading out the room's door.

He found his way down the hall and to the lower level. He looked into the diner and saw that it was in fact open. He went inside and immediately noticed that the older man from the gas station, Cecil, was eating his own breakfast. He looked up and met Ponyboy's eyes. He gave the young man a glare before shoving a piece of egg into his mouth with some force. Ponyboy diverted his eyes before quickly finding a booth to plant himself in. A waitress came over and took his order.

Ponyboy sat silently, twiddling his thumbs. He couldn't keep his eyes off the old man for whatever reason. He kept remembering the story that Lilly had told them about his son. He felt sympathy for him. He knew what it was like to lose a family member or someone you loved more than anything. He understood the anger that constantly brewed inside the man.

Cecil seemed to feel the eyes on him and he fixed an accusing look on Ponyboy. A growl seemed to form along his lips.

"Can I help you with something?" he questioned as he pushed his finished plate away.

Ponyboy rendered speechless for a moment. His last expectation was for Cecil to talk to him at all. He opened and closed his mouth several times before getting any words out.

"Hi…" It was probably the dumbest thing he could say, but what else was he going to tell the old guy? He really had no other ideas on what to talk about. It was obvious that Cecil was nowhere near friendly.

Cecil grunted and turned away from Ponyboy, mumbling something about people and their good-for-nothing nonsense. Suddenly, Ponyboy took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He felt like he should say something, but at the same time the words to speak seemed like a palpable absurdity.

He took a breath. "Cecil…Sir?" He looked at Ponyboy and Ponyboy took a deep breath. "I'm sorry about your son. I know it happened a while ago, but I'm still sorry it happened. You didn't deserve that."

Cecil stared at Ponyboy for a long moment, his breath was shallow and his eyes fell towards the table he sat at. He cleared his throat.

"Thank you, boy."

And he turned back again.

It was strange. Everything about the situation made Ponyboy want to cry. The thought of Cecil's loss made him think of his own. He wanted to go home. He wanted to go back to college. No- that was not what he wanted. He wanted to go _home. _Tulsa. He wanted to see Darry and Soda. He wanted Steve to make mean remarks and treat him like a little kid. He wanted to hear Two-Bit make a joke about how he still looked like he was seventeen. He wanted to visit Dally and Johnny's grave and see all his friends living their life and being happy. He was tired of running- of searching. Who cared if he was getting closer and closer to solving the mystery? He was no detective. He was going to end up dead. He knew it.

He couldn't forget all he'd been through- how much more he would have to go through. He didn't want that.

He felt a strange urge to call home- to hear their voices one last time and to know they were alright. He couldn't, though. He couldn't put them in danger.

"He was a good kid." The sudden words broke his thoughts apart. Pony looked up and saw Cecil staring at him. "Greg, I mean, my son. He was a good kid."

Ponyboy nodded slowly and took a deep breath. "I'm sure he was."

Cecil nodded quickly. "He listened real good. He only wanted to make me and his Momma happy." He laughed suddenly and it sounded strange. "You ever met a kid like that? He was one of a kind. That was for sure."

Cecil sat in a table right across from Ponyboy's booth. His head was slowly moving back and forth as he spoke about his passed son. He smiled slightly, too, something that seemed to be a none-too-often occurrence for the old man. He folded his hands as he rattled off more facts about the boy.

"He looked a lot like me, but more like Molly, my wife. He was good at football. He loved playing. He always talked about being a great star. Then there was this girl, the neighbor, Lucy. They were pretty close for a whole long time and he blushed like a rose when she kissed him on the cheek one time. He was good at school, too. He was an amazing little guy."

Pony listened to Cecil continue on about the wonder that was his son and, although it went on for a long time, he didn't mind one bit. It was giving him a strange comfort, knowing this man wasn't all hate. He had feelings and he cared. They were just hidden behind a strong wall that needed to be broken through.

Cecil's face had changed. The creases were no longer fixed with anger and his eyes weren't permanently set in a glare. It had lightened and almost seemed relaxed. After he finished he looked over at Ponyboy. His eyes were glazed over and he licked his lips.

He gave one nod. "Thank you." And that was all that needed to be said. Ponyboy gave a smile and nodded quietly. Cecil looked down before glancing back over. "You be careful, alright? I don't know what you and your friend are up to, but you keep safe."

Pony bit his lip. "Yes sir."

Then he got up and left without even bothering to touch his food.

* * *

Darry's knuckles stung as he drove down the road, but he paid no mind to the pain. His only thoughts were of Ponyboy and getting him home safe and sound. A strange feeling rose in his throat- an extremely foreign one. It became known to him that his eyes were straining to hold something back. It didn't take much longer for him to realize it was tears. He would not cry, though. It did not matter that he was older now and didn't always have to be strong. He would be strong anyways. He would be strong for his baby brother if for nothing else. He would not give into tears.

He. Would. Not.

He didn't feel any sympathy for hitting Steve, nor was there an ounce of remorse. Steve deserved it. How could he ever even think that Ponyboy was second to anything? That was just plain stupidity. He wished Steve was still there just so he could hit him again.

Darry had no clue where he was going or what he was doing. He was going to drive and drive and drive until his body gave out from sleep deprivation.

Or at least until the car ran out of gas.

He did want to call Jessica. He wanted to know if she was alright and if she was doing okay without him. He wanted to call and make sure the whole town and all his friends were safe, but Ponyboy was more important than that. As bad as it sounded, finding Ponyboy was ten times more important than checking in back home.

He needed to see his little brother, to hear him and hug him. If he didn't find Ponyboy then he failed. He could not fail his parents like that.

He would not.

His grip on the wheel tightened and he took a deep breath as he continued to drive down the road a slight bit above the speed limit. Wherever Soda was, whatever Jessica was doing, wherever Steve had stumbled off to, it did not matter. His priorities were straight as of that moment. He would not change course because he had one goal at the moment.

His little brother.

* * *

Soda trudged up the winding road, imagining what he would tell the dog's owner once he reached them. Going to the store? Going home? Going for a night drive? Sure, going for a night drive sounded like a plausible excuse. Of course, he would then have to explain why he had left his vehicle. He wasn't itching to tell that part of the story.

Well, I was takin' a late evenin' drive when _I got the urge to take a piss._

Yes, that excuse would be fantastic.

Soda blew out some air as he reached the porch of the house. Someone was talking inside- the voice of a young woman. She was undoubtedly speaking to the dog.

"What have you got there, boy? Where did you get those?"

Soda rubbed a hand wearily down his face and knocked on the door. He needed to get them and go. If he was going to have to explain anything it was going to have to be quick.

He heard the barking of the dog and soft footsteps come closer. Then the door opened. On the other side appeared a young, brunette girl. She looked to be about twenty-two with a soft smile. Her eyes stared at him with curiosity as the dog slowly padded up to her side.

"Hi there," she smirked quietly, seeming to know why Soda stood at her door, "Can I help you?"

Soda rubbed the back of his neck, somewhat embarrassed about the whole situation now that he actually had to explain it.

"Well, you see, I was driving and I had to stop to- uh- stretch? Yeah, to stretch. I dropped my keys and your…Well, you dog picked them up and ran here and I sorta need 'um back. Is that okay?" His words were stumbling and so un-Soda like that they even sounded strange to him. Of course, he was fidgety and worried about Ponyboy. Not to mention, confused as all get out.

His explanation simply made the young girl laugh and she motioned him in. "Follow me. I think he dropped them in the kitchen."

Soda hesitantly followed her through the door, hoping he could just get the keys and leave. They were on the floor once they reached the kitchen and the young woman reached down to pick them up. Soda couldn't help but stare slightly as she bent down. He quickly met her eyes as she stood back up to hand him the keys. Soda went to take the keys from her when she quickly pulled them away, a playful look in her eyes.

"Hey, now. Do you really expect me to just _give _these to you? You do realize that you are in the middle of nowhere, right?" He must have looked like he needed more explanation because she continued. "No one uncommon comes here _ever._" She crossed her arms. "Now what in the Sam heck are_ you_ doing here?"

Soda's mouth shifted and he groaned internally. "Look, I'd love to stay and chat, but I really have to go. I got stuff to do-"

She cut him off, "Look, I get that," she mimicked. "But it gets lonely up here and I just wanna hear a bit of what you're doin'." She batted her eye lashes and held the keys up. "Can't you do a pretty girl a favor?"

Soda realized he was going to have to comply if he wanted his keys back. Or he could just hit the girl. She'd probably give him the keys then…

"Who ever said you was pretty?"

She rolled her eyes. "Come have a seat in the living room."

* * *

"Evie, how you doin', baby?"

"Steve? Oh, thank God! Jessica's been freakin' out. Is Darry with you?" Evie's voice was loud on the other side of the receiver. Steve cringed and pulled the payphone away.

"No, we got into a bit of an argument. I'm by myself. Why?"

"Steve, you need to get Darry! This is important. It's about Ponyboy."

An urgent feeling tugged at Steve. He straightened up in the phone booth. "What are you talkin' about?

"Letters, Steve! He sent letters to you guys. You need to get Darry! You have to get him." She sounded almost ready to cry. Steve hated when she sounded like that. It gave him a deadly feeling in his gut.

"Ev, ya' gotta calm yerself down, alright? What do the letters say?"

He couldn't see her, but he could imagine her shaking her head. "Get Darry, Stevie. Jessica needs to talk to Darry. Please have him call, Steve. I can't tell you about the letter right now. Darry needs to be there, too."

"Evie, just tell me."

"Steve, I can't! Get Darry and call back. I love you, Steve, okay?"

The line went dead and Steve slammed it on the receiver. He had no clue where Darry went. He didn't even know where he, himself, was. He slammed a fist against the phone booth wall.

"Shit."

* * *

**A/N: So, it's been exactly a month since my last update and I feel horrible. It was NOT supposed to take that long but life got in the way. Updates will be faster since it's the summer and I have a slight bit more free time.**

**Thanks for the reviews last time! I think that was the most I've gotten so far! Keep them up! If you've reviewed before, please review again! It means so much and all I need is one word! Thank you all so much and hope you're having good summers!**


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